Smooth Stride

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Lake Meadow Farms, Tennessee

As planned, I spent the day after my 50th birthday on the back of a Tennessee Walker (half Paso Fino) in the woodlands of Tennessee. I started my second half-century out on a very smooth stride.

The ride was chill and pleasant — leaves falling, lake lapping the shore, flora and fauna both familiar and new to me. (I did get very excited about an armadillo carcass that I wished aloud I could take home. My guide assured me that the remains were accessible by car.)

Know what I loved most? There was this moment when when a large tractor-type-vehicle tooled up the road and spooked my horse, despite best efforts to help her see it in advance. She jumped and spun, backing toward it. I sank deep in the saddle, steadied her with the reins, and talked with her softly. I realized then that I still love being in the saddle, regardless of the risks. Questions around this had been thrumming at the back of my mind, and I felt relieved for the clarity.

I do love a smooth ride. But the bumps in the road? That’s where the learning’s at. A last-minute scramble spurs excitement, a story, and a memory to savor. Like navigating a river with still stretches and rapids, I aim to welcome the whole of life, one moment at a time, as it comes. May I always be grateful for the wild ride.

Where in your life do you find yourself suddenly out of balance and on a learning streak? What do you do to welcome the experience and release resistance?