Graduation!

I’m so done with high school. Fortunately, that part of my life is complete. I was done when I graduated and now, I have all my children graduated.

I suppose it’s the same everywhere, but it feels unique to a small town. If you don’t fit in it can be difficult.

John was one of three boys in his class that were in Plainsmen Singers and the only one in his class in band. He also loved Scholar’s Bowl and the fall play. He ran in cross country in the fall and played golf in the spring. I will miss those activities, but I’ll be glad to see him go somewhere he is able to grow into the person he will become.

His activities are not complete since he swims through the second weekend of July. After that, I may feel lost.

To keep myself engaged I’m starting a new venture. Last May I graduated from the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method® program. When Mike died, I put that on hold to be home for John’s senior year of high school.

For five-and-a-half years Mike and I would sometimes leave and not know when we’d be back. They might hospitalize him, and those stays ranged anywhere from overnight to almost three weeks. We might also leave at the drop of a hat.

John golfing.

In January of 2013 when the local practitioners had reached their limits, they sent him to Hays. Before we left town, we went to the school, asked them to pull John (a sixth-grader) out of class and we told him that we were going to Hays. We didn’t know when we’d be home and told him we’d let him know what he should do after school.

He had to grow up fast during his middle school and high school years, so I just wanted him to experience what it was like to have his mom around full time.

I was also thrust into the role of caregiver, reluctantly. Mike was in his mid-fifties when all of this started. Sometimes he said he went from 53-93 overnight. I must agree when I look at pictures, I can definitely see how he aged.

Back to what I want to do with the rest of my life. I’ve seen the good, bad, and the ugly in health care. I feel like doctors could make better connections with patients and their caregivers.

John swimming the butterfly.

My Equine Gestalt Coaching practice will be focused on helping with those relationships. I will work with doctors on how they are relating and caregivers on what they are doing.

As I’ve seen health care from three sides, working in my dad’s practice when I was younger, being a caregiver, and a patient, I feel like I have a good perspective. My chosen field of study was communications, so I feel like a have a good handle on that as well.

Mike in his garden.

Now as I delve into Equine Gestalt Coaching, I’d like to combine my lifelong passion for horses and their healing gifts with my newfound passion in health care. If you’d like to know more you can connect with me here.

I’m feeling Alive Again.

Two of my horses working on me. Photo by Rhonda Abell

Onward! Shame

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