I don't talk much about Brody. Brody touches on a lot of things I tend to keep to myself. Brody embodies a lot of things that I tend to keep to myself.
The other night I was brushing Brody and he stopped eating. He doesn't always stop eating and wait for me to finish, sometimes he continues and I work around him. The other night, he stood there and just enjoyed it. A friend of mine remarked on space and the like, I agreed that Brody did in fact respect mine. I also knew that wasn't why he was standing there, oblivious to the hay (alfalfa no less). He was standing there because he was letting himself quietly enjoy the attention.
He's always liked the brushing, the contact, the reassurance that he is loved, the touch that says trust can be had. We don't get near enough time, in my opinion, but when we do he loves it as much as I do. I like the brushing, the contact, the reassurance that I am loved, the touch that says trust can be had.
It's different when they come to you as damaged as Brody was. I am constantly amazed that he can trust any human. That he feels safe enough to enjoy the feel of the brush or my hand still chokes me up. I often wonder if I have that level of forgiveness in me.
It's magical to witness someone coming back to life, it is also (and more importantly) an incredible honor. I said someone on purpose. I don't think "someone" applies strictly to humans. He's not a "something" which is likely the word I would have used ten years ago. Ten years ago I loved animals, ten years ago I also had no idea how much they gave, felt, or taught us, without even trying.
I can't remember when, or who, tapped into that part of me that needed them as much as I believed they needed me. It probably started with Patch. That's probably why Brody is so tough a subject for me. He reminds me so much of Patch, he and I met the day after Patch died, he was so sad, I was so sad. I wasn't sure if Brody and I had any business together but I couldn't walk away.
When I met Patch it was much the same. A friend had talked me into going to see this pony; he was lame, he was likely going to head to the game farm as a result. I remember agreeing that sure we'd take the pony home and no no the gentleman had no worries because after all it wasn't really me, it was me and Kate; she knew all we needed to know. I figured this pony was a Kate project disguised as a pony for my grandson. For goodness sakes I didn't even like Appy's and Patch was an Appy in every way. I didn't know a damn thing about rehabilitating anything much less a horse. I stood there when Jeff asked if I could take him on and shook, thank goodness not visibly, and told him that it wasn't a problem cause Kate would do the lion's share of the work.
Then I got to know Patch. He is still one of the most special 'someones' I've ever had the pleasure of loving.
It was a lot like that with Brody. It's a lot like that with Brody every day.
It's different when they come to you like that. It changes you, if you let it. It changes them, if you're lucky. It makes you grateful for every single day, if you pay attention. If there isn't a whole lotta magic there...it's not likely to be found anywhere else.
The other night I was brushing Brody and he stopped eating. He doesn't always stop eating and wait for me to finish, sometimes he continues and I work around him. The other night, he stood there and just enjoyed it. A friend of mine remarked on space and the like, I agreed that Brody did in fact respect mine. I also knew that wasn't why he was standing there, oblivious to the hay (alfalfa no less). He was standing there because he was letting himself quietly enjoy the attention.
He's always liked the brushing, the contact, the reassurance that he is loved, the touch that says trust can be had. We don't get near enough time, in my opinion, but when we do he loves it as much as I do. I like the brushing, the contact, the reassurance that I am loved, the touch that says trust can be had.
It's different when they come to you as damaged as Brody was. I am constantly amazed that he can trust any human. That he feels safe enough to enjoy the feel of the brush or my hand still chokes me up. I often wonder if I have that level of forgiveness in me.
It's magical to witness someone coming back to life, it is also (and more importantly) an incredible honor. I said someone on purpose. I don't think "someone" applies strictly to humans. He's not a "something" which is likely the word I would have used ten years ago. Ten years ago I loved animals, ten years ago I also had no idea how much they gave, felt, or taught us, without even trying.
I can't remember when, or who, tapped into that part of me that needed them as much as I believed they needed me. It probably started with Patch. That's probably why Brody is so tough a subject for me. He reminds me so much of Patch, he and I met the day after Patch died, he was so sad, I was so sad. I wasn't sure if Brody and I had any business together but I couldn't walk away.
When I met Patch it was much the same. A friend had talked me into going to see this pony; he was lame, he was likely going to head to the game farm as a result. I remember agreeing that sure we'd take the pony home and no no the gentleman had no worries because after all it wasn't really me, it was me and Kate; she knew all we needed to know. I figured this pony was a Kate project disguised as a pony for my grandson. For goodness sakes I didn't even like Appy's and Patch was an Appy in every way. I didn't know a damn thing about rehabilitating anything much less a horse. I stood there when Jeff asked if I could take him on and shook, thank goodness not visibly, and told him that it wasn't a problem cause Kate would do the lion's share of the work.
Then I got to know Patch. He is still one of the most special 'someones' I've ever had the pleasure of loving.
It was a lot like that with Brody. It's a lot like that with Brody every day.
It's different when they come to you like that. It changes you, if you let it. It changes them, if you're lucky. It makes you grateful for every single day, if you pay attention. If there isn't a whole lotta magic there...it's not likely to be found anywhere else.
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