• Cart
  • Checkout
  • My Account
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

Aging Schmaging

Women's Issues Midlife And Beyond

  • Aging Schmaging
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Art
    • Cards
    • Photography
    • Scarves
  • Playshops
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Contact
agingschmaging horses
You are here: Home / Musings About Aging / I Was Surprised When I Opened The Book And A Photograph Drifted To The Floor

I Was Surprised When I Opened The Book And A Photograph Drifted To The Floor

March 5, 2019 By Gail Leave a Comment

agingschmaging horses

“It’s the good girls who keep the diaries; the bad girls never have the time.”
–Tallulah Bankhead

I was surprised when I opened the book, and a photograph drifted to the floor. Huh. The book, The Mane Event, was given to me around 1994 by my mother and had been sitting on a shelf ever since. Had I forgotten the photo was there all this time? Curious, I turned it over, and my heart twanged.

Mom loved horses. A stoic by nature, I believe she felt true loss when the time came that she could no longer comfortably ride. But it is said the heart wants what the heart wants, so Mom found other ways to be around horses. And that brings me back to the book…

The Mane Event follows a newlywed couple driving a team of six Belgian horses from Maine to California–a distance of over 3800 miles–while racking up about 10 miles a day. The slogan of the trip was, “Pulling for Seniors,” with the team stopping at nursing homes and centers all along the route. Stories throughout the pages describe the joyous reactions the elderly had of seeing the big draft horses.

Mom became obsessed with the journey, and with the horses. She knew their names and followed their progress. When she heard they would be making a stop in Yuma, where she wintered, she had to go. And that brings me back to the photograph…

agingschmaging horsey

Mom and the big horsey

Mom is reaching up to pet the big Belgian’s cheek. The look on her face is blissful, as though the feel of the horsehair on her fingertips is about 2,000 pounds of heaven. But for me, even more priceless is the Belgian’s seeming smile in response to her touch. Two spirits connecting on a sunny day, what could be more beautiful?

When I turned the photo over, I saw Mom’s handwriting, and that’s what made my heart thump. It read, “See, See, I did get to pet the big horsey. Wee! And he smiled.”

Although Mom and I had a complicated relationship, she knew how to make me laugh. Using words like ” big horsey” was sure to get me every time because it spoke to the childlike giddiness we shared around horses.

And that brought me back to yet another memory, or “momory.”

The last time I saw Mom alive we spoke about riding horses. My husband and I had planned a trip to Alaska, but with Mom fading from cancer, we were nervous about leaving for twelve days. I needed to know how she felt about us going.

Mom took a deep drag on her cigarette and told me she wanted us to go. She knew that I was going to go on a horseback ride while stopping at Denali National Park. “Go. Ride. And when you come back tell me all about it.” The look in her eyes said she was serious. Go. Ride.

agingschmaging ride

The last ride together.

The night before the ride my brother called to say Mom had died. “Finish your vacation,” he said. “We’ll handle the details.”

As the horse wound its way through the riverbeds and grasslands, I sat in the saddle and looked to the snow-capped mountains. I no longer could tell her about the ride, but I didn’t have to.

She was right there with me for one last ride.

«
»

Filed Under: Musings About Aging, Remembering Tagged With: Horses, Memories of horses

Avatar photo

A Message From Gail

Through my blog and website, I hope to share beauty, laughter, inspiration, aging & midlife lessons and advice on dealing with menopause. I will also devote time to integrative health and healing tips and news. I want feedback and questions because, while we may be sharing the journey, every woman has her own experience and her own story.

Get Our FREE 
Coloring Book!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Download
Our FREE
Coloring Book!

Get Updates – Signup

Once a month one lucky winner from the sign up pool will receive a scarf courtesy of Aging Schmaging. Good luck!

Categories

  • Giveaways
  • Menopause
  • Midlife Sex
  • Musings About Aging
  • Recipes
  • Remembering
  • Sharing
  • The Best Part Of My Day

Recent Posts

  • Past, Present, and Future: What I am Learning as My Husband Recovers from A Stroke By Gail Gates
  • In One Stroke, My World Changed
  • Christmas Fingerprints On The Surface Of My Heart
  • Tears Water A Memorial Garden
  • Crap Wildlife Photography: How I received 1800 “Likes” From A Fugly Photo

Navigate My Site

  • Almost Done!
  • Free Coloring Book
  • Menopause And Women In Midlife Blog
  • Playshops
  • Privacy Policy
  • Return Policy
  • Shop
  • Silk Scarves Playshops Registration
  • Sitemap
  • Success!
  • Testimonials
  • About
  • Contact

Recent Posts

  • Past, Present, and Future: What I am Learning as My Husband Recovers from A Stroke By Gail Gates
  • In One Stroke, My World Changed
  • Christmas Fingerprints On The Surface Of My Heart
  • Tears Water A Memorial Garden
  • Crap Wildlife Photography: How I received 1800 “Likes” From A Fugly Photo

Connect With Me

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Featured From the Shop

  • habitoi silk scarf Habatoi Hand Painted Silk Scarf 101 $35.00
  • grand marais summer solstice Grand Marais Solstice $10.00 – $45.00

Copyright © 2023 · Gail Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cleantalk Pixel