Guest post by Shannon Henric
Living life to its fullest, what does that mean? My definition has changed quite a bit through the years.
Growing up, I thought it meant having the opportunity to go on many elaborate family vacations – skiing in Colorado, scuba diving in Hawaii and Florida, touring England, so on and so on. Fortunate for me, my father managed to accumulate many frequent flier mile, which afforded us this luxury. But on the down side, I began to think that having all of this extravagance was necessary to have a happy and full life. I was SO wrong!!!!
In starting my own business, I found a true joy. Seeing the fruits of my labor, made me feel complete. Not to mention, enjoying long hikes in the woods and playing with the animals. Eventually the inevitable happened, I discovered the joy of horses. I got involved with retraining Standardbreds after their racing career had ended. The Standardbred Foundation rescues these guys from an uncertain fate. Some of them are broken down and mistreated. I love to watch them blossom as I show them how to trust people again. As far as I was concerned, my husband, my animals, my friends, and my job were all I needed to feel complete.
I had no idea that life could get any better, until the day my little angel was born. I will never forget that first moment I saw her. She was crying, of course, after having been taken from the nice warm comfort of my womb. With tears pouring from my eyes, I said “Hello beautiful!” She immediately stopped crying and tried to find my voice. SHE KNEW ME!!!! There is nothing in this life that will ever give me that feeling.
It hasnít been an easy road. My little girl has a genetic condition that we will be battling throughout her life. The uncertainty of her future and the gift of her life has been my lesson on the importance of every moment. I have learned how to be a kid again. One big belly laugh from her and I melt!
Some of our favorite things:
Living life to its fullest, what does that mean? My definition has changed quite a bit through the years.
Growing up, I thought it meant having the opportunity to go on many elaborate family vacations – skiing in Colorado, scuba diving in Hawaii and Florida, touring England, so on and so on. Fortunate for me, my father managed to accumulate many frequent flier mile, which afforded us this luxury. But on the down side, I began to think that having all of this extravagance was necessary to have a happy and full life. I was SO wrong!!!!
In starting my own business, I found a true joy. Seeing the fruits of my labor, made me feel complete. Not to mention, enjoying long hikes in the woods and playing with the animals. Eventually the inevitable happened, I discovered the joy of horses. I got involved with retraining Standardbreds after their racing career had ended. The Standardbred Foundation rescues these guys from an uncertain fate. Some of them are broken down and mistreated. I love to watch them blossom as I show them how to trust people again. As far as I was concerned, my husband, my animals, my friends, and my job were all I needed to feel complete.
I had no idea that life could get any better, until the day my little angel was born. I will never forget that first moment I saw her. She was crying, of course, after having been taken from the nice warm comfort of my womb. With tears pouring from my eyes, I said “Hello beautiful!” She immediately stopped crying and tried to find my voice. SHE KNEW ME!!!! There is nothing in this life that will ever give me that feeling.
It hasnít been an easy road. My little girl has a genetic condition that we will be battling throughout her life. The uncertainty of her future and the gift of her life has been my lesson on the importance of every moment. I have learned how to be a kid again. One big belly laugh from her and I melt!
Some of our favorite things:
- Twirling around together in matching pettiskirts.
- Playing hide and seek.
- Coming home to the most wonderful and biggest hug you can imagine each day.
- Watching her come running to me in excitement, sharing in the joy of being together.
- Snuggling.
- Camping out in the living room.
- Sharing a popsicle and watching her beams proudly as she feeds Mommy.
