Once again, it’s time for Thankful Thursday! I hope this post inspires you to consider the things in your life that you are grateful for. If you have a blog, consider posting about it there and link back here. If you don’t have a blog, please feel welcome to comment here on what you are grateful for in your own life. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing, then just take a few moments to reflect on all that you have. If you’d like to tag other bloggers that participate, feel free to do that.

This week, I wanted to do something a little different.  I have so much in my present life that I am grateful for, but now and again I get to feeling a bit nostalgic for the old days.  I have been very lucky throughout my life to have had some experiences that have shaped the very fabric of who I am.  For the next couple of weeks, I want to honor those experiences that have conspired to put me at this point, in this moment of my life.  First up, the 80’s, the decade of my youth.  This is where it all began….

Horses awaiting their riders at The Pointe's ranch.

Horses awaiting their riders at The Pointe's ranch.

  • The single most life changing experience I’ve had thus far started with a vacation that began innocently enough in Pheonix, Arizona.  I am so thankful that my parents took us to The Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in 1984.  Under the blazing Southwestern sun and in the shadow of the looming mountains, my sister and I fell madly, completely in love with riding.  This vacation changed my life.  While I only remember bits and pieces of the rest of our trip, I  can still smell the leather of the saddle and feel the sun on my back as we rode through the mountains.  Sadly, the resort no longer offers trail rides (at least not that I can find online)  and the mountains that we rode through are now dotted with glass and stucco mansions. 
Michelle aboard her very first mount, Hank, at The Pointe.

Michelle aboard her very first mount, Hank, at The Pointe.

  • Of course, the next event that I want to mention was when my parents bought my first horse.  You can read the story of Starfinder here.  That moment was one that I’d dreamed of for as long as I could remember.  I still recall when they vetted her at the Illini Railsplitter show, the leg x-rays weren’t clear and it looked as though she wouldn’t pass the exam.  Amazingly, upon re-doing the x-rays, it was decided that she was clean and would be coming home with us.  I still feel that some divine intervention took place because that horse and I belonged together.  She was the gear that started this whole ball rolling.
star

Starfinder, my first horse

What’s funny is, when I sit and think on this decade nothing else (non-horse related)  jumps out at me.  These years were a time of dreams coming true and my evolution out of childhood.  I soaked these experiences in and let them shape me, and I learned so much.  While many girls my age were struggling to find their niche, to be comfortable in their skin – I had my horses.  They eased my transition into high school and gave me escape and comfort when I felt like I didn’t fit in (which was quite often).  So this is what I’m thankful for and what the 80’s represents to me. 

Happy Thursday to all and please visit these other sites that frequently participate in Thankful Thursday:

Akal Ranch, Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch, and Tired Dog Ranch.