She just sat on the ground, unable to sit straight and tall like her mother had always admonished her to do when she was a child. Today, it would be impossible. And tomorrow..it probably wouldn't be possible then either. Her mind was too busy thinking about the horse that just came in to the rescue barn. When he came to be with the rescue, he had no name. She remembered that day very well. The first sight of him was enough to break her heart into little pieces. The woman, who had taken this horse from neglectful owners where he had lived, had tried to save him because she was unable to watch him ravage to find his own food by eating tree bark and his own feces. Nobody cared that he was gone. His fur was very thick; and mane so matted, so thick that she had to wiggle her fingers down to feel his bony body. And as she pulled her fingers away again, they were coated in old dirt. Black and white, he was upposed to be. But on that day he was beige and dust. He rode in the horse trailer, head hanging down for he had lost his courage and couldn't keep his head proud and tall. He rode motionless, waiting and listless. But the thing that was the most disturbing was the look in his eyes. They were quiet eyes, sunken into his head - and they watched her. They were alive with thought. He was waiting for her to do something "to" him. Little did he know at the time that, instead, she would "give" something to him. She gave him one of the little broken pieces of her heart. She reached out to stroke his head and he instinctively flinched his eyes shut and dropped his head, waiting for the heavy hand. With that little bit of movement she gave him another one of the broken pieces of her heart. She took him in the barn and gave him a bath. She groomed for hours and brushed some order back into his mane and tail. For that, he was grateful and even though his own stomach was loaded with worms, he accepted yet another piece of her heart, for it would help to heal his own. "Would you like some water, big boy?" She whispered to him as she filled a large trough with fresh water. He drank it up happily. He had been dehydrated for a long time and she knew it would take him most of the week to re-hydrate. He wanted more water - but it was gone. Ah... that's how it is, he thought to himself. But he was grateful for what he had been able to get. "Would you like some more?" and she filled the trough again with another little piece of her heart. "I know that you are hungry. You don't have to find your own food anymore. Here's a bale of hay. I've added a little piece of my heart." Over the four months that he stayed with her, his health improved. The stomach full of worms was replaced piece by piece with little bits of her loving heart. And each little piece worked a very special kind of magic. When the warmth of love and gentle caresses are added, the little broken pieces knit together again and heal the container it resides in. That container becomes whole again. She watched each little broken piece fill a gap in the gentle horse until his quiet eyes radiated the light from the little pieces. You see, kind words gently spoken turn the little pieces into illumination for the spirit that resides within. He looked for her each day, happy to be see her always. Never had he known such kindness, such gentle caresses; such love. His health had returned, his spirit was playful as a young colt's should be and he had learned about love. Now his heart was full. The healing was complete. It was time to go. There was another person who had another heart that was meant to be shared with him. So she sat shapeless on the ground because all the broken pieces of her heart were with the horse. It is difficult to sit tall when your heart is not with you. She wrapped her arms around the horse that stood with tall, proud ears for her. Lean on me, he said. And she gave him one last thing that would keep him strong; that would keep the pieces of her heart together long after he had gone on to live his new life. She gave him her tears and bound them to the pieces with a simple statement made from the ribbons of her heart. "I love you,." And the horse lived happily ever after. The foster mom sat on the ground beside the pasture, straight and tall like her mother had always admonished her to do when she was a child. Today, it would be possible. And tomorrow... it probably would be possible too. Because her mind was busy thinking about this, the next horse that came to her barn for help. Where did she get the heart to help yet another horse, you ask? Ahhh... it came with the horse. They always bring a little bit of heart with them. And when the rescuer breathes in that little bit of heart, it quickly grows and fills the void left by the last horse.
-Author Unknown
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