Hi, I’m Jemma.. I share what I continue to learn from animals through my work as a volunteer with them at www.satanimalrescue.com and at www.easyhorsecare.net
This month’ s hot weather makes for a challenging time for all the workers and volunteers mucking out the manure in the hot, dusty paddocks at easyhorsecare rescue centre. My own contribution is just 2 days for around 3 hours a time. It’s true now that even though there seem more volunteers than ever, kindly prepared to give of their time to help keep the horses living areas clean; we can brush and shovel, scoop and load wheelbarrow fulls of old and fresh manure over and over again only for it to be replaced by more each day, it’s never ending work to keep the fields clean. This has made me ponder on a analogy, (I hope not to offend anyone by this) of the constant work I must do to clean (rid) myself of my own inner sh=t. By this I mean the daily feelings of insecurity and unworthiness, the inner berating of my mind, comparing and contrasting, questioning, worrying, stressing over unnecessary things, going over past events, wishful thinking, emotional sways, antagonistic thoughts… not to mention the sad, helpless and huge range of other thoughts and feelings I have over the state of the world today. Although I do feel some of the afore mentioned thoughts and feelings are justified and have their place in the fullness of my life, they also aid to prevent: living in the moment fully and enjoying what that means, and definitely block space up so not allowing for new thoughts and ideas to come in.
And at SATs this month I have experienced being at times ,the first person to arrive and the last to leave…but maybe not on the same day. The dogs get so excited and animated when the volunteers arrive as they know that it means their daily walk, which they so love… they seem to derive such joy at this such seemingly small gesture from us, barking and jumping in the air which I notice more when I arrive first in the morning. It’s began to move me internally to realise that I too can experience such pleasure and happiness in the relatively small things of life and from the actions of others… a smile, a well timed comment or remark, a hug, a piece of homemade pie/ cake given (Thank you Hazel and Karen x) So often we don’t want to arrive first or last at a party, or event or a gathering, and have been conditioned to believe that we shouldn’t… but what joy to be the first to hear the squeals of excitement, and to have the last intimate connection with the last dog walked that day, it can have quite a feeling of connection and sacredness…
Please get in touch with SAT or Easy Horse if you are interested in volunteering in any way. Jemma x
