Whatever We Love Most

Four Years Before

What I'll Miss Most About Camps:

1) The kids that would eat the haybales

2) The bareback fun rides

3) The way everyone was always so happy

4) Capture The Brush

5) The obstacle courses

6) The ice cream

7) The time would fly by

8) The horses were so chill with the kids

9) Everyone was so nice

10) The kids were hilarious

Monday. The third week of June.

I was nine years old. At this point, I was transferring to a new school. Special Education. That sort of thing. My family was moving across town.

I was stressed all the time. Crying, vomiting, not being able to sleep. That's all I remember.

And then.

Monday.

I only remember there being five horses on the first day I walked in. I'm sure there were more than that, but I wasn't allowed to see them.

That irked me.

"I know how to ride," I remember telling my coach. "I went to a camp last year!"

(In case you can't tell, I had no idea how to ride.)

The barn had just opened. Now I know it was because of a couple abandoned horses, but at that point I didn't know that. I just knew it was a riding camp and that horses made me happy.

And Marigold. 

What I'll Miss Most About Marigold:

1) An absolute sweetheart

2) She loved jumping

3) A donkey would follow her around

4) If any other horse touched her donkey they were doomed

5) She loved kids

6) She always held her tail to the side

7) She tolerated the birthday hats

8) She behaved wonderfully for everyone

9) She was sassy, in a fun way

10) She always tried

The only pony I rode that week. A sweetheart, ex-dressage pony, had a donkey.

That's right.

I was terrified of the little donkey that followed Marigold everywhere. To this day I don't know why. Possibly because I was terrified of any large animal.