Rescue Journal

On a damp horse stall floor

Jean  ·  Oct. 9, 2006

Today, I sat on the floor of Gideon's stall, side by side with Petunia piggy, stroking her coarse sparse hairs and singing to her as I tried to regain her trust after her stressful encounter with the nail clippers. The sun was streaming in through the open stall window, the woodchips smelled sweet and the beautiful solid barn interior felt comforting. Petunia and I enjoyed a quiet twenty minutes of alone time, and I felt the stresses drain away from us both. And I couldn't help but smile as I imagined my dad, who passed away almost thirty years ago, looking on indulgently at his youngest daughter finding peace with a piggy on a damp horse stall floor. And although he was not an animal lover, I know he would have approved - because he did believe that each of his children had the right to find their own path to contentment. And I've sure found mine.

But I bet he never thought it would be on a barn floor with a pig for company.

Comments

Carol

ok, the dream last night was wierd....i dreamt i was working in an unfamiliar hospital on an unfamiliar floor, and one of my male patients (who looked incredibly healthy and fit by the way) was a musician composing this piece of music. he decided i should sing this one very high note and this one single word and i should hold this note forever. the word was petunia. i kept waking up several times and each time i would fall back to sleep right back into the same dream. i do remember being afraid that i could not reach that high note, nor hold it forever and i never actually started singing it but i was thinking about if i could.
wierd huh?

Janice

Jean, the time you shared with Petunia and how you wrote about it brings a smile to my face. I know that peace , it is spiritual with pigs and soemthing one can never fully explain with words, it is something that only can be felt. When touched by a pig it is magic and it is soemthing all of us who have grown to love them speak about amongst ourselves. It is no doubt in my mind your father was with you in that barn today and you can give thanks to Petunia for the strength of her Life Force in that she was able to bring you together again. Ask Carol about her dream , it is magic this Petunia brings with her.

Rae

Carol, you sounds like the adult version of the little girl on Charlotte's Web. Do you remember that story, I think her name was Fern and she was totally in love with her little pig named Wilber

Judy B

I am so glad that you could enjoy the beautiful day and also enjoy a peaceful moment, no matter how long or where it took place. Fond memories of those of whom have passed before us, be it human or animal, just adds to the peacefulness of that time. I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.