I have a little story I would like to share. You really never know what amazing thing may come from what is seemingly a hardship to endure. A path that seems twisty and turny and unrelated in the moment, can actually be a disguise for something much bigger and better.
In 2021 I entered a watercolor of my red horse into an art show, and it won the watercolor division. It is an interesting story for more reasons than simply the winning…
I was reflecting recently on how it all came to be… Few things have defined the major trajectory of my life the way chronic fatigue, horses, and art have done.
For about as long as I can recall I have wanted to become an equine veterinarian. Unluckily it seemed, chronic fatigue ran neck and neck for my attention the entire way.
Some years have been better than others, but the overall daily struggle was real. The early 1990’s marked the beginning of my career in veterinary medicine and I became a licensed Veterinary Technician and took a job at a local vet clinic. As circumstances would have it, one of their veterinarians offered acupuncture on animals. Dr. Allen Schoen may be well known to many of you now. After seeing the miracles he performed on the smallies, I had him out to work on my horse who had back problems. The improvement was amazing. Acupuncture is all very well accepted now, but this was back in the days when other vets mocked the treatment and claimed it was about as effective as sticking needles into piles of horseshit, lol. But I loved my horse fiercely, he was the reason I kept going against unrelenting weariness and I would do anything for him. I did not care who criticized me for it. Maybe you can relate?
Anyway, I know what I saw, and it led me to get acupuncture for my chronic fatigue. And as my energy improved, my desire to practice acupuncture on horses was ignited!
So, years fly by and I get into vet school, graduate, and then head to sunny Florida for an Internship. An equine practice hired me and were open to adding acupuncture to the services. That practice and I eventually parted ways and it left me with a restrictive non-compete to honor. I could only practice acupuncture in the area for the next 2 years. Which I happily did!
As this season of my life went along, my fingers began to want to paint. That old passion was rearing its’ head and making itself known to me again.
Eventually, I was invited to Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack to do acupuncture on some of the racehorses and I became friends with a few trainers. One day, one of the trainers asked me if I wanted a young racehorse. They had one that had run out of conditions and they wanted to find a good home for him. We walked down the quiet shedrow, over to his stall and there stands a big, beautiful, hunky 3 y.o, racing fit, cheeky, and keen as could be. ” So, Doc, do you want him?”. I almost couldn’t reply fast enough! “Who me??? Go GAGA for a giant, red, blinged-out TB? Of course, I want him!! I mean, have you ever met me??”
I did try to get a few of my friends to talk me out of taking him (you ladies know who you are, lol) but they are the worst (aka best) kind of enablers, and so Mr. Steal A Star came to my farm. This horse is 100% racehorse, he is full of energy and life and about as boisterous and rowdy in the pasture as I have ever seen.
His moves are eye candy to me. Jagger’s got nothing on this dude.
So, I start snapping pics. Lots of pics. Good pics. Dorky pics. Photobombs. Airs above the ground. Action photos. He quickly earns himself a new title on the farm. The King.
Years go by, my painting improves, and I choose a photo of one of his epic maneuvers to try to paint. With lots of support from my FB group, I get it done. And that my friends, is the painting I called “The Red Horse King” which won the 2021 Winnie Award in Watercolor!
Live your life the way you are called to do. Follow your feelings, the nudges, and the intuitions. Know that sometimes what seems like your biggest struggle, will become your greatest gift. Life is a work in progress, my friends, 
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.If you read this far, I would love to know if you have had a similar experience!