A carrot a day...

What now, I hear you cry, reading the title of my latest musings, what is she on about?

Patience, Dear Reader, patience.

There is this horse you see, his name is Cedric and he lives in a field up the hill from my land. He is beautiful is Cedric and he used to live in that field in the summer because he was a stallion.

Then he would be proudly taking part in the Autumn hunts and then he would be put into his stable with other horses from the winter and then I would not see him till March/April.

Only, this year, I have no idea of why, he has not been taken out of that field and he is there, not in his warm stables, no food, no shelter and by now the field is a field of mud.

I have made enquiries, no one seems to know who owns Cedric or indeed why he has been abandoned. Silence reigns the way silence reigns in the rural areas of Ireland.

So, every day, for the past few months, I have taken him a carrot and some hay. We have become acquainted and he lets me pet him a bit.

I have realised he is no longer a stallion which might explain why he is no longer of interest to his owners.

So I trudge up the hill, every day, and give him his carrot and apologise to him about how badly he is being let down by whoever used to ride him proudly during the hunts. 

And, yes, I am really upset about the horse but I don't know what else to do, so I do a bit.

Only, yesterday, Cedric refused to come to collect his carrot. He turned his back to me, on the other side of his muddy field. He refused to come today too.

So, I got to thinking...

What is the use of giving him a carrot a day? What is the use of apologising every day? What is the use of giving him a tiny token when what he needs is a warm stable, a good brush up and his hooves trimmed. 

None of this I can provide...

Then, I got to think about my carrot a day. 

The way, I do when I am worried about something I cannot do anything about because it stops me from seeing what I need to see, learn the teaching I need to learn.

What is it in my life, that I am feeding little bits of carrots and needs to be warm in a stable, brushed and safe and resting for the winter.

It took me a while to work out what it was and of course, I did some tapping on it.

It turns out that its all the land outside, the kitchen garden, the moss growing on the paths, the grass still looking untidy, the roses needing to be cut back, this and that needing this and that. 

All of those tasks that I cannot complete because, its too cold, its too dark and frankly, I am tired trying to keep my head above water these days.

I am going to put myself in a lovely metaphorical stable. Somewhere warm and dry. With plenty of hay. Give myself a good brush and leave the outside, the land, where it belongs, outside.

And, when spring is here, really here, I'll come out of my stables and then see what I can do.

As to Cedric, I will accept that I have done all that I can do to try to help him and a carrot a day was not enough. Also, I cannot save the world. Or indeed take it on and redress all injustices.

This is how I exhaust myself.

Right now, I am going into my stables hoping you found this interesting and that it has made you think about your own daily carrot! What are you feeding in your life, for a carrot a day, that actually needs to be taken to a warm stable?

If you fancy a chat about this, do get in touch at www./baya.ie/work-with-me 

I'd love to know

Love

Baya

UPDATE!

I went to check up on Cedric before this post was published and HE HAS GONE! The field is empty, the gate is open and there are trailer tracks in the field. I was right to set him free. This is how magic works. For sure. Somehow, my daily carrot was keeping him there, maybe? Either way, we are both safe and warm and that is all that matters.

Magic, I tell you!