Hello there, lovely ones,
I didn't expect to be undone by a donkey.
His name is Mateo.
From the moment he was let out onto the grass, he had one singular mission: to knock the chair away from the mulberry bush so he could get to the leaves.
Patient, determined, and completely unbothered by anyone watching.
He wanted what he wanted, and he was going to figure it out.
We laughed together, and couldn’t stop watching.
We spent the afternoon at Believe Ranch & Rescue, a horse sanctuary and home for animals that exists because of two incredible dear friends, Siri and Bek.
They attended Tony's Business Mastery program close to 10 years ago, and while sitting in the audience, had a vision to build a place of recovery and healing for animals they could love back to wholeness.
Siri and Bek held that vision, and then, through grit and grace, they co-created it into being.
Walking through their farm, you can feel it in the air. In the way the horses move. In the ease of all the animals, who have learned, slowly, that they are safe.
There is something beautiful about an animal that is simply allowed to be themselves. Not being utilized. Not being bred. Not being eaten.
The goat gets to be a goat. The donkey gets to be a donkey.
We picked lemons and apples. We sat on the ground. I held a little tortoise in my lap and ran my hand along its hard shell, and learned that they could feel it. I was reminded of times when I’ve hardened the shell around my heart and yet somebody’s gentle touch opened me.
When our daughter discovered the goats, she was in her own world of curious eyes, soft nuzzles, and mischievous nibbles. It is a gift to sit amongst these creatures and take in their company.
Nature. Animals. The particular silence of being with a living being, with no agenda, no performance, no pretense. Just presence.
Siri and Bek said yes to a vision, and believed in it before there was any evidence of it.
What we each have the privilege to co-create as we follow love is what we experience here amongst the animals.
With love,
Sage 🪷
Follow them at @BelieveRanchandRescue and @HorsesInOurHands — and if you feel called, visit believeranchandrescue.org to donate or sponsor a horse directly.
