Charm

Twenty-six years ago I met a special creature that was destined to be one of the great loves of my life.

Even at that first meeting you could see she was special. 

Intelligent, beautiful, with enormous eyes that literally took in everything around her.

I met her in 1985.

We would spend the next decade taking on trails, and walking through country sides, and forging a very close bond.

I would like to say I taught her many things but the truth is whatever meager things she may have learned from me were trite compared to the lessons and values she taught me. She arrived in my life with more wisdom than most people display after decades of living. 

I drew strength from her strength, learned from her what real loyalty meant, watched her determination and spirit define her behavior every day of her life and most importantly learned from having her in my life what being responsible really demands. 

On many an occasion when my world seemed "upside down" I would go to her and see my fears and anxieties disappear as her quiet strength and honesty put things in perspective.

She has been in my life since she was six months old and she recently turned 27 years old.

Tonight I am many miles away from her but thinking about her very much. 

Don't ever let anyone tell you the world has grown so modern and so technologically sophisticated that the warmth and affection we can draw from an animal does not trump the accolades of material success society demands of us.

Charm has been in my life 26 plus years and I pray she is with me for many more to come.

She is an pure bred Arabian mare and she is one of the most remarkable creatures I have ever met, human or non-human. 

She is the only horse I have ever even heard about that during a thunderstorm stands outside and watches the lightening.

She often let's herself out of her box stall, no small feat. But more fascinating, she then goes stall to stall and opens the doors for her stable mates.

She is the most social, most calm, most thoughtful being I know.

In the movie Ben-Hur there is a scene in which Charlton Heston meets the four white Arabian horses that will carry him to victory in the chariot races. 

Th exchange between the horses owner, the Arab Sheik Ilderim (played by the wonderful actor, Hugh Griffith), Ben-Hur and the four beautiful Arabian horses always ( even today ) brought tears to my eyes.

I always thought the love and respect the owner of those horses in the movie displayed in the dialogue was something that only came from Hollywood fantasy. 

I was wrong. 

Whomever wrote the words for that scene most of had or known horses they loved. 

I have a horse I love. 

Her name is Charm. 

She has and continues to enrich my life.

She is at 27 (plus) years old. 

I pray she lives many, many, many more.