Innocent Logic

It was about 4 years ago, around this time of year, after the first real frost, when I received the first phone call that Aurora had snuck out to the horse barn in the middle of the night. This became an important part of her legacy.

Originally, when her dad decided to start her in horseback riding lessons, they used a loaner horse. When she started to show a true ability for racing, he split a horse with a stable owner and Snickers was her first riding partner. She was the best kind of childhood happy when she was on that horse.

For her 6-and-a-half-birthday (a story worthy of its own post), she begged for a horse of her own. So, less than a month later, they went to pick up a horse. There were two available: both around the same size, both male. One, a solid milk chocolate color with a dark almost-black mane and tail. The other, black and white with a pattern like paint splattered on the side of an old trash can and a mane like a zebra. It was her choice. And she started crying and shaking her head "no", unable to explain herself.

It took 20 minutes for her dad and uncle to calm her down enough for her to divulge her dilemma: she couldn't choose. Not because she wanted them both equally, or because she didn't know which would be a better horse for her; but because she couldn't handle the idea of separating them. She said she'd rather go home without a horse than leave one behind to be lonely. So, naturally, her father bought them both. 

Fast forward to an almost-9-year-old Aurora, on the phone at 1 AM, in trouble with her uncle (and me) for sneaking out to the barn: 
Me: Aurora, why are you in the barn?
Aurora: I didn't want Oreo to be lonely.
Me: What about Hershey? We have TWO horses because you couldn't leave one behind, sad and lonely!  
Aurora: Yes, BUT Misty and Ash [the barn cats] both sleep with Hershey. I can't tell them what to do, but I can still make sure Oreo isn't lonely.

Well, if that isn't the innocent love and simple logic of a child.... How can you argue with that? How could I tell this child that she was in trouble for looking out for the horse we brought home, making the promise to always look out for him?

Please, in the easiest of ways, keep your promises. Look out for the people (and animals) you love. 

More graffiti later, 
~A