Ten years ago this slow-learner realized something about friendships. And today, I learned all over again.
First things first:
I used to run several times a week with a few other stay-at-home moms. Together, we’d run for an hour while a babysitter watched our kids. We’d talk about everything. Run after run, year after year, we’d laugh and share our struggles and successes. It was wonderful camaraderie.
Then one day, during the Clinton impeachment process, we got to talking politics. One friend argued for Clinton. One argued against him. Our pace got faster and faster. The argument became more and more heated.
All those years and I’d never realized what deep-seated convictions my girlfriends held - not just about politicians, but about the issues behind our political leaders.
We headed back to our homes, some of us barely speaking to one another.
Wow! What an eye-opener. (I'm happy to report that we remain good friends, despite our differences.)
Well, it happened again. This time, my circle of friends was horsewomen.
Now, I’m not politically active by any stretch of the imagination. I tend to be pretty darn cynical about the whole process. But I still have my convictions. And when one friend voiced her conviction quite to the contrary, it floored me.
How could she think that?
What planet is she on?
How can we still be friends?
I’m sure she wondered the same about me.
But then I thought about the horses. And the rantings and ravings spinning around in my head started to subside.
Our horses give us common ground...Who comes first, the husband or the horses? The horses, of course!
Our horses give us common ground. We can talk about our horse issues 'til the proverbial cows come home. And we have the same mindset when it comes to horses. Pat Parelli would call us ‘learn-aholics.’ We like to bond with them. We like to teach them and have them teach us. We like to grow with them. We like to care for them. We’re devoted to them.
Who comes first, the husband or the horses? The horses, of course!
Yes, we have shared some laughs. And we will continue to share our struggles and successes.
It was clear from this recent non-horse exchange, that we don’t see eye-to-eye on bigger issues. (Apparently there are bigger issues than horses, who knew?!)
I'm sure she probably wouldn't think of me first when her church is asking for new members. And maybe I wouldn’t want her to home-school my kids.
But if I drop dead tomorrow, I’d want her to be the one caring for my horses. Hands down.