And according to what’s become tradition I’m heading for the stable to care for the horses an hour or so before midnight. Same procedure as last year.
It’s peaceful here. Outside the temperature is dropping getting close and probably below -10°C any moment now. The low hanging fog from earlier has drifted away and revealed an absolute magnificent view of all the millions of stars up there on the black winter’s night backdrop.
In the far distance I can hear the vague sound of fireworks going off too early. Still so far away that I cannot see the lights. And so far all the horses are quietly eating their late supper hay. The sound of horses chewing they food is really relaxing to me. ‘Cause horses, well, they just are.
They don’t worry about the past, they don’t worry about the future; they’re just living the moment. And for me, being with horses and living the moment with them is pure therapy.
There’s nothing to hurry, there’s nothing really to worry about, just … live the moment. I’ve repeatedly reverted to this statement “disconnecting from the real world and connect to the elements” when it comes to kiting. The same kind of statement goes well with being with horses. 500 kilogrammes of muscle power reading you like an open book.
If you worry, the horses will mirror you, if you put your worries behind you (for a moment) and live the moment, the horses will reward you. And this quote is hitting the nail on its head, “I have learned a lot from being with horses, most of it is about myself”.
So…. What have all this to do with kites?
Well, in a way, horses make it possible for me to leave this messed up world behind for a few hours, just like flying kites do (for me). Going down to a beach or hitting a flying field, shut out the world for a while and enter into that private “bubble” of mine; me, my kite, the wind on my back, the sun, the water, the elements….
This is my mental hygiene, this is soothing my soul, this is recharging my batteries, this is my therapy!
So sitting here in the stable just listening to the silence and the subtle noise of the horses breathing isn’t the worst way to leave the old year behind and open the door to a brand new one and all the untold stories the new year will bring.
Hopefully 2022 will turn out better than 2021 happened to be for a lot of people, but let’s not forget that any experience is what you turn it into. There’s always a positive side to any experience, even though it can be really hard to spot it right away. I try to live by this and no, it sometimes really difficult, but if you try hard enough, you can make it!
From the bottom of my heart I wish you all a Happy New Year! Take care, stay safe, and … who knows …. Maybe our lines will cross again someday!
Love!❤️
