Do you ever get down in the dumps?  Feel like life is going nowhere or that it is not what you planned or expected?  We’ve all been there.  Life can be a real downer sometimes.  I am not going to sit here and tell you that there is a silver lining and that you should count your blessings but I will tell you how I handle those set- backs in my life.  I remember.

It came to me as I was convalescing from a terrible accident that caused me to have three operations and forced me to stop doing one of the things in life that brought me my greatest joy—horseback riding.  I have had horse for 42 years and now I am horse-less thanks to this accident.  In order to try to bring sense to my life I pondered on what gave me joy.  I am truly blessed with a wonderful family, friends and I am retired from my 9-5 banking job.  This freedom enabled me to concentrate my talents where my heart always led me all my life—to animals.

So then I thought, what has been my defining moment in my life?  Was it my wedding? No, I am happily married to a wonderful man, who I love with all my heart, but that was not a defining moment for me.  Was my moment when I gave birth to my pride and joy –my son?  No, although I have been blessed to have a great child who is the one of the biggest blessing I have in life– his birth was not my defining moment.  Was it the 35 years I spent in banking, working myself up from entry level to being in charge or over 50 people?  Definitely not!  That was what I had to do to survive. It was a career, not just a job, but I wasn’t doing what I longed for–what made my heart sing.

You know what I mean by defining moment—when you are so proud of what you, yourself, have accomplished, on your own, using your own talents? Then I closed my eyes and thought what have I done that made me proud to be me?  Then it came to me—I saw myself, standing up behind a podium talking at my book launch party about the book I had written.  A Tail of Hope’s Faith was an accumulation of years of learning, practicing and working with animals.  It defines who I am deep down inside—it is who I am and who I will always want to be and what I believe in my soul. 

So when I get down in the dumps, when I think life is not as interesting without my precious horses in it– I picture myself behind that podium.  I smile and tears come to my eyes as I remember that moment.  I am so very proud that I was able to change someone’s life, to bring comfort and healing to an animal and her family and then to document it for anyone else who may be going through the same experience of a terminally ill pet.  That’s my moment—that’s what I am proudest of! 

What is your moment?  We all have one.  Think about it and then recall it whenever you need a reminder that you are freaking awesome and no one can take that away from you!