While I was looking over my photos from the trip, I noticed even the first day a young filly named Shamis had come to me often. She is a beautiful buckskin with a brownish red mane, tail and brunette socks. Shamis was tender, sweet, and a teacher.

The day the staff was on retreat, Keri, Kimra, and I went over to the ranch to groom the horses. They are groomed before they are ridden each day, but today was a different day. We decided we wanted to just love on these precious horses who themselves were the messengers of healing and love to so many children. We wanted to provide them some TLC ‘just because’ and to say thanks.

I had read a story of Kim’s about how the simple act of braiding hair had provided such a profound connection to one of her young girls in her care. As we entered the corral, Keri asked who we wanted to groom. I found myself indifferent and so we waited to see who would come to us, and of course Shamis came directly to me. I brushed this beautiful filly and found it to be meditative and delightful to see her take in this care.

After a while we moved on to the next horse to groom; many had come over to receive such care. I moved onto Halo and started grooming him. Then I felt a nudge in my back and another. I turned to see Shamis had picked up the brush in her mouth and was pushing it against me, asking for more. We all laughed out loud to this horse’s expression of “more!” I let Keri work on Halo while I went back to Shamis, offering as much love and care as this horse wanted.

I found myself working the conditioner through her mane. I spontaneously started braiding her mane, and this earlier story came back to my mind. It all comes around. As Kim offered compassion to these young girls by a simple act of braiding their hair, as many lives were touched with her compassion and discernment to understand the need for this amazing gesture, as these horses provide such life changing care and love to these children, so I got to be a humble part of the circle by loving Shamis.

We don’t always see the wider  circle of how our actions of love and compassion ripple to this world, but they do. And how it is vital when we continue to choose such simple compassionate acts they go on to create greater waves.