This week will be the final installment of the EPH riding program for 2021. The weather forced a few makeup sessions with some jostling of normal ride dates, but overall, it proved to be another successful summer. I have to believe the horses look forward to their role in the program, but sometimes they act like teenage boys and never really show any emotion or excitement. “Yeah, sure Dad, that was fun.”
An unplanned challenge for EPH this year was the bizarre health issues of our main cheerleader, founder and direct ray of sunshine, Charlene. Without breaking any HIPAA rules, suffice to say she contracted some awful bugs (NOT covid-related in any way, shape or form) and with similar odds of winning a lottery jackpot, got a vacation complete with several ER visits, many trips to different hospitals in this town, Bridgeport and Fort Collins, Colorado complete with the requisite poking, prodding, question answering, doctor consulting and heavy medicating all with the intention to relieve pain and rid her body of the ailment.
Charlene is back home now on a scheduled road to recovery with many anticipated doctor and hospital visits until this goes away. Taking your health for granted is something we’re all guilty of doing, but it must be said that the community of friends that surrounds East Point Horspice have proven to become family and will never be overlooked as a true blessing in this time of despair. We often give credit to the horses for the life we lead, the people we’ve encountered and the amazing events that occur here. Again, credit to the horses and their incredible ability to make us better humans must be declared as friends and volunteers stepped up more than any family member could expect and allowed us to leave town to get Charlene the care she needed. The chores required to maintain the herd became first priority for the people who added to their already busy lives and ‘thank you’ will never be a sufficient reply.
This article has written previously about volunteering with your favorite cause and the many benefits to be realized by doing so. With us, it is the horses. With you, it could be horses, or anything else that lights your fire and gives you purpose. As Charlene recovers, it is our hope that the generosity and love demonstrated by our friends, volunteers, and now we claim as family, may serve as a template for others who are maybe on the fence about getting involved with their organizations of passion and will understand that sitting on the sidelines and watching is merely a starting point. To deeply get involved and give of yourself will be a guaranteed change for the better in the world.