Boys to Men

Boys into Men

Imagine a day between season 14 and 15.
You're Clint Riley, visiting a family in Hudson about fostering a teenage boy. Things didn't go well.

You stop into Maggie's for lunch, and notice
Amy & Lyndy at a table. Amy sees you & waves & smiles. You walk over & say hi. She stands up & gives you a big hug; a type of hug usually reserved for an uncle or grandfather.
She asks you to join them for lunch.

You shake Lyndy's hand & introduce yourself.
Lyndy somehow remembers you, smiles and asks if you've ever had a square hamburger.
"Once with round fries". You reply.  She giggles and likes you. 
She looks so much like Ty;  shes as beautiful as her mother.

You're good with kids;
the People of the Province of Alberta are your employer.  You're given all the cases everyone else gives up on. Your first was Lyndy's father.

You ask Amy how she's doing. She says really good, and talks about Lyndy, Jack, and some horses she's working with.  Amy is a highly respected 'horse whisperer', her name now known in many provinces, and states.
But you have a Masters Degree in Social Work, and can assess a persons emotions often by observing their body language or watching their eyes.

Amy asks about your work, then about Luke.
You tell her work has been busy; then what you can legally say about Luke.
You add that Luke is still upset about Ty's death.
You watch Amy stare at a ring on her finger. The ring looks familiar, you tell Amy it's pretty.

She no longer wears her wedding band, but says Ty gave her this ring, years ago; while they were dancing in the back of his truck.
She wore a pretty green dress that night, Amy adds with a smile. Ty's ring still has promises, and helps her sleep better, .....she's been wearing it a lot.

Lunch arrives and you help by cutting Lyndy's hamburger into smaller bites.  You & Lyndy talk about why horses wear shoes; she shows you her new pink tennis shoes. She asks if you ride.
You answer no, you've always been afraid of horses. Lyndy points to her mom & says;
"Maybe my mom can help you, we have horses at Heartland that are afraid too".

Lyndy asks for ketchup, you pour some on her fries, and ask Amy how she's doing running her business by herself. She smiles, and says great and tells of some troubled horses she's re homed.  Amy looks happy, but with your training, you know otherwise.

You see the tears she's been trying to hide ever since hugging you, a few minutes ago.
You wonder if seeing you brought back memories of Ty........

You ask Amy if she visits the meadow much where she scattered Ty's ashes.

Amy's hidden tears suddenly tumble from her eyes.  She looks around, embarrassed if anyone saw her crying.
Lyndy puts her little hand on top of her mommies, and whispers 'I love you mommy; it's ok!!
Daddy loves us from heaven".

You're trained in grief counseling.  You wonder if Ty would want you to say something to encourage Amy, or maybe give her the business card of a licensed family counselor you know.  But you think
of Jack, one of the kindest & wisest men you've ever met. Certainly Jack has been helping Amy deal with her sadness.  You feel compelled to do something, to say something to help Amy deal with her constant memories of Ty.  But exactly what, you're not sure.

You take another bite of your tuna melt & think of your friend Marion. Amy looks just like her.....
You hear Marion's voice in your mind.....
'Clint, teenagers and horses have a lot in common.
They both will push you, seeing what they can get away with. Some days you push back. Other days, put your books & degrees aside and listen to them.
Listen with your ears, and your eyes.  Usually all they need, is just to know you care for them'.

You still miss Marion, she was a good friend.

You can sense Amy spends all her time on Lyndy & horses, but little on her own emotions & healing.  Amy looks at you, and softly answers your question. "I rode up to the meadow yesterday, he was there, I sensed his spirit.  Ty still helps to calm my rattled emotions. He knows me better than anyone.
Amy twirls her fork into her spaghetti for a moment, then continues.....
But, you must think that kind of stuff is weird.
Amy looks up at you, her eyes pleading for a word of understanding.

No, I don't think it's weird at all. In fact there's been a few times over the years, with my most challenging teens.  I've felt your mother's presence.
Her friendship transcends time; she was a very wise person. She sensed something in Ty she liked.

Amy grins and says....... Years ago, my grandfather wanted to kick Ty to Montana. He was furious that Ty gave me a ride home, late at night after a party.
I guess my grandpa had a 10 foot rule; Ty had to stay 10 feet away from me & Lou at all times!!
I stuck up for Ty & got mad at my grandpa.
It was the first time I ever yelled at my grandfather;
I think I scared him!!  I was just 15.

Amy reminds Lyndy to eat politely with her fork.
Then she mentions Jack and says he's been a big help to her. He lost his first wife Lyndy years ago, and understands what she's going through. It's over a year now & Amy says she thought by now, her heart would begin moving on......,

You gently remind Amy that everyone grieves for different lengths of time.  You look out the front window & think of Ty.  You were his trusted friend, almost part of the family. It's been a while since you've seen Jack or been out to Heartland.

You ask Lyndy what she likes best about horses.
She grins and replies; "they love you, without you even asking".

You look at your watch; your next appointment is in 20 minutes. A follow up visit with a 17 year old boy you convinced a family to take in for the summer.
His name is Alex.

The waiter brings the check, you pay for lunch &
ask Lyndy if you came out to Heartland Saturday morning.......if she could teach you how to be friends with a horse.

"Will you let my mom teach you how to ride"?!
Lyndy asks with a grin that reminds you of Ty.

You look at Amy & ask if she might have time Saturday for a beginners lesson.

Amy smiles and says; "yes, can you come at 10:00"?? 

You walk outside & stand in the courtyard for a moment with Amy & Lyndy.

Lyndy puts her arms up and asks for a hug.
You kneel down and she wraps her little arms around your neck. She looks into your eyes and says;  "My dad told me you helped him become a man." 

Your eyes instantly tear up.....you want to say something to Lyndy, but your words are frozen.
Ty's little girl just derailed your heart.

You nervously look up at Amy; she takes a photo of you & Lyndy & sends it to you.

Your phone beeps from her text. You say good by and "I'll see you Saturday".
Amy thanks you for lunch, and you walk to your car.

Lyndy calls out & blows you a kiss.

You wonder in amazement at how the kindness you showed Ty years ago, has returned to you.  Amy & Lyndy love you like a trusted friend.

You turn the ignition and will never forget what Lyndy just told you.  Your days are stressful, teenagers try to push all your buttons.......
But you help turn boys into men.

You reach into your pocket for a tissue.......
Now you're the one crying.

                                   🦋🦋🦋

Just a short story about Heartland; nothing more, nothing less.  Kindness is the message.

Written by; Mike Hurley
Edited by: Jim Clark