OpEd by R.T. Fitch, President/Co-founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation

“Loss, Love, Laughter”

It was Saturday morning, May 19^th, 2018 and I was sitting in front of the computer struggling with what I was going to publish on the blog that day.  Not an unusual situation for me to find myself in but on that day, it had some disheartening and dark overtones that were obscuring my inner vision and casting a wet blanket across my heart.

My original intent was to write about the progress that our lead investigator for Wild Horse Freedom Federation and Equine Welfare Alliance had made with the contact of a local news station reporter and, hopefully, we were well on our way to another public educational piece on the tie between our own Houston and the predatory business of horse slaughter taking place just a few miles across our southern border.  She had done such a great job with an investigative reporter out of Atlanta that our own Houston Fox news aired the piece back home, here, last week.

But such a story was not to be as the news contact was neither made nor progressed because of the tragedy that occurred at approx. 8 AM the previous day as a local 17-year-old lost his battle with the dark side and ruthlessly removed 10 unwilling, innocent souls from this planet, put that many again into the hospital and altered the future lives of thousands, if not tens of thousands, for all eternity.   Our investigative horse story paled in comparison, intent and relevance.  Once again, and understandably, the horses were pushed to the back of the line and would have to wait their just due.

So, as I wrestled with the dark demon that attempts to steal the light from our heart and dampen the joy of our souls I reached over and let my television app come to life on the upper right-hand corner of my computer screen.

It was early for most, 5:30 AM, but not to me; I thought that perhaps the sound of a human voice and a bit of diversified video would help to center my thoughts and clear my mind but what to my wandering eyes did I see?  Everything, live, was centered on the “Royal Wedding” and when I say everything I mean everything.

From CNN on the left to Fox News on the right and all of the ankle-biter, wanna-bees in between, it appeared that all of them had put down their self-serving and destructive agendas to do one thing and one thing only; devote all of their resources to reporting on the live and in real-time broadcast of two people’s pronunciation of their love for each other while the whole world looked on.  I was stunned, I was confused, I was at a loss for words and I was hooked.

My keyboard lay silent as my mind turned from grief and ghoulishness to a warmer and happier place coming to me live within my home office in the micro-metropolis of Magnolia, Texas.

I watched it all, from the arrival of the two brothers at the chapel to the kiss on the stairs upon exit I watched it all with a good dose of awe and wonder, I amazed myself by watching the entire proceeding, in total.

I felt the pride when the two boys (men) in full uniform walked boldly into the church, I was captivated by the beautiful car whisking the bride and her mother to the chapel, I tipped my hat to the inner strength of the woman who walked herself down 50% of the aisle and then graciously extended her arm and love to her future father-in-law to help her complete that journey.  I was moved and touched as the two lovers exchanged mutual looks and were caught by the camera admiring the other when they thought no one was looking.  I was captivated by the sermon and brought to tears by the gospel choir.  I was lost in the love, the union and the hope.

The darkness melted away and the union of not only two people but of two country’s lightened my heart and gave me hope…but most of all, at the conclusion of the ceremony, the horses entered.

The beauty and majesty did not come totally to my heart until the newlywed couple climbed into their driver-less carriage and were whisked off on a tour and ride by majestic equine that were ridden, and not driven while being protected by a Calvary of equine brethren.  My heart stopped beating.  It was glorious.

Not to war, but to peace the hooves pounded down the Wellington streets while tens of thousands looked on.

Not for heartbreak but for joy the horses and their human companions paraded in front of the world in celebration.

For love, the horses pranced to show their pride and their blessing for the loving event.

It was the perfect conclusion for a perfect ceremony for a perfect counter point to the poison from the day prior.  Both my mind and soul had been cleansed.

The horses brought it home and into my heart, forever will they be the guardians of my soul and the bearers of my spirit.

I could almost taste it but surely did hear it as the universal spirit whispered to all across the globe who would listen when the horses concluded their march of devotion, “Let there be Light!”

And for one lowly listener, the message did not go unnoticed.

“Let there be Light.”

Disclaimer: “The opinions expressed by the author are definitely and unequivocally in total alignment with the editorial staff of SFTHH which proves that the old Curmudgeon still has a heart and can pen a few words that are A-political and meaningful to the bulk of self-actualized human beings.”