When life throws you down...

Or, in yesterday's case, a horse named Freckles.  Kylie was at her riding lesson yesterday and was thrown off her horse for the first time (and hopefully the last).  She stopped to get her bottle of water from Grandma and the horse starting walking again, so her teacher told her to drop the bottle.  Well, the bottle cracked and water flew, and off the horse went leaving Kylie behind. On her behind to be exact.  Poor baby.  I actually wasn't there when it happened, as I was on my way there with Jackson.  When I got there, Kylie was slowly riding Freckles while Mr. Brad was holding on to the reigns and she didn't look too happy.  My mom told me what happened and my first instinct was to go over there and comfort her, but I stayed behind and let her be brave and strong (so her and Freckles could gain their trust again).

As hard as it was for me to see her hurting, I couldn't help but think about what a great life lesson this would be.  Life throws us down all the time.  We can't just stay on the ground and cry about what just happened.  No sirreee, we have to get back up in the saddle and move on with our heads high, proud of the fact that we just overcame another fall.

In the end, Kylie was smiling and so proud of the fact that she got back up on her horse!  She was even excited about telling her friends at school about how she's "a real cowgirl" now because she was thrown off a horse.  She got that from my Great Uncle Bubba, whom my mom called to tell that she had been thrown.  He's grown up on a ranch and still lives on one, so he knows all too well about the lessons of a rider.  Kylie even got to talk to him, which made me so happy. He's just one of those people that God really broke the mold on.  Old Aggie with a big heart in a small body, who shares his life with a lady who is truly an angel here on earth.  Amazing people they are, and I'm proud to have them in my family.

As I lay next to her in bed last night with her cuddled in my arms, I thanked God for reminding us once again that sometimes He is going to teach us some lessons that are hard to learn, and even might leave a few scars, but we'll surely be stronger, braver, and definitely more faithful for it.