Horses in the dust at the Quarter Circle Equals Ranch in Rutheron. Photo by Sage Faulkner

BY SAGE FAULKNER
Rutheron

Not everyone loves a holiday.  Sometimes they serve as a painful reminder of a loved one gone, dysfunction in family, loneliness, stress, health issues, financial burdens, and more.  

If you are able to gather with love, count your blessings.  Also, consider saying a prayer or think warm thoughts for those not able to.  If you aren’t able to gather with love, I’m hoping you can find some healing time.  

I know a pile of you are dealing with some heavy stuff right now, so just know I’m keeping you in my prayers.  Know that I am here if you need that hug from afar, or a reminder that you are loved.  If you need to think about something else, I can tell you all about how I managed to kill the washing machine today, and then maybe brought it back to life (it is still in the ICU, pending).  That the transmission went out in my kid’s truck, and that one has a virus that can have weird and scary complications.  I could tell you the story about how one of my kids and I got scammed buying a saddle this week, and that the online payment processing app sent an email with a ‘we can’t help you’ message, only to be followed with, a day later, an email saying they fully recovered funds.  Some of my favorite kids are dealing with family loss, and more of my favorite people are dealing with a child’s loss.  Other favorites are handling a youngster’s surgery and still finding time to make sweet memories, and even more have health issues.

I know there is a lot happening to a lot of you, and that some days it must feel like there won’t be an upside, but I think there will.  I think you’ll get through this and find some time to gather in love.  It just takes time.  Hugs y’all – so many hugs!