That Time

I'm seeing but not reading, because I can't read them, so many accounts this week and I know into the next. It is the time of year for old horses to have their tails cut, because old loved horses all go to heaven with pieces of their tails and manes missing. It is the season of good-byes to old wonderful friends who have seen their people through many a hard day and many a wonderful day. It is the time to make that final decision that no one ever wants to make, but because of love, it is done. It is done out of respect to that good old, faithful friend, who's eyes are dimming, teeth are missing, bones are beginning to show. It is that time when the sun is shining so perfectly and so right to say good-bye before a hard winter comes. It's that time when it's still a good day for that friend to walk slow and stiff from the barn one last time and lay down in the grass, on a warm sunny day. It's the time before a very bad time might overtake that old boy or old girl and it is our job to make every day a good day for them, even the last day. The last day will be of long hugs, tears in manes, many carrots to eat, much love to hold onto. That love for each other will never die. As they take their final breath, they will feel that steady, sure hand on their face and know we are with them. We don't see the finale, we don't see their spirit rise up from their now still body. We don't see them rise with wings or see them run and jump again. But we feel them pressing back from the other side, the other realm. It will be for days, weeks and months that we feel them there. Slowly they will go further from that place until we are only there alone, for now. But I know, because horses are spirit animals, that we will see them again, we will see them return as they gallop through the clouds and we will meet them on the other side. And once again we will be able to spring up onto their backs and with manes in our faces we will ride like the wind. And from that time on, we will never be parted again.