Life Lessons

     I'm sure about half of the people that know me think of me as "the girl that has horses", not just Beth Bengala, the most awesome girl EV-A! And that's ok, I don't mind it. People that have horses tend to be a bit different, whether you want to admit it or not, we are! So if you are a horse person and think you aren't different, well, you are surely in denial! But we are different in many ways, not just because we live and breathe horses, but we usually can handle life situations better than other people.  Though, there is something magical about being a horse owner or someone who rides horses or leases a horse or calls themselves a horse trainer or instructor. If you truly "get" what is means to be completely invested in your horse, then you will understand this blog more than others.

     Horses are the most humbling creatures on this earth, in my opinion. I, myself, have a very complicated horse and those that  know me can agree with me 100%. The lessons Evie and Savvy(rest her soul) have taught me I could of never learned in a book, by taking a class or even learning from Mom and Dad. 

     Growing up I had zero patience and no tolerance for others, which was often a topic of discussion by my parents. My parents would say, "Beth, you need to have more patience and be tolerant of others." I would ask them why but they could never give me an answer that I wanted to hear. Having two thoroughbred mares has taught me how to have patience with others(sometimes;-)With people you could always find a quick fix or a way around the problem to get to the answer faster. This is not the case with horses. A wise woman once told me and continues to tell me on a regular basis, "the slower you go, the faster you'll get there". When I first heard that, I thought she was mad! But by being a horse owner and rider, it finally made sense to me one day. I couldn't rush anything with my two horses because it usually backfired and  just when I was two steps forward, we would take three steps back. By learning to have patience and take things slow, I was able to overcome many hurdles in my riding and in my life. 

     Funny thing is that, you don't even know that horses are affecting your every day life until one day it smacks you in the face and you realize how your reactions are different than they used to be or how you are more tolerant of others. Horses keep you in check of reality when you think you are on top of the world just to make sure you are paying attention. 

     Even though I would love to have more patience overall with others, I have come leaps and bounds compared to what I used to be and I truly feel that it's not because I have gotten older but because of my relationship with horses, especially with my two girls, Evie in particular. So to all of my horse friends out there, take the time to reflect on what your horses have taught you, whether it be patience, accepting of others, humility, love or loss and go and thank them for their magic that no other creature on this earth has!

Evie, the one who keeps me in check with reality! 

     

...but this blog is for you!

So one of my best friends, Blaire Cannon Nichols, has been harassing me about blogging again....:-) but I do enjoy it. It's the time that I don't have. But this blog is for you Blaire!

We've been super busy in the Bengala/Young household as always, sometimes Matt and I are like ships passing in the night. Some people may not like this kind of relationship but when Matt and I do get to spend time together, it's amazing! I think some couples take each other's time for granted when they get to see their significant other all the time but Matt and I are together we have each other's full attention. It's hard to maintain a relationship by text message and phone but we are able to connect with each other most times of the day, so even if I don't really see him, we still know what is going on with each other. 

Almost two weekends ago, we got to take a short trip up to Cedar Mountain, NC for some good friends of ours wedding, Blaire Cannon & Zach Nichols. I luckily was a bridesmaid for Blaire. Blaire originally asked me to be a bridesmaid last year and I told her no but that I would do a reading or something else within the ceremony. I guess I just felt too old for that kind of stuff or some silly reason. Thankfully,  Blaire called me back a few months after I rejected her proposal;-) and asked me again and I said yes. I can't tell you how thankful I am that she called me back because I was so honored to be part of that wedding!!! The love that she and Zach have for each other just gushes! It was the most laid back and non-formal wedding I have ever been to and it was perfect! It was held at Camp High Rocks where the two of them met when they were counselors. You couldn't of asked for a more perfect setting and day! So thank you Blaire, from the bottom of my heart for asking me a 2nd time! I would of truly regretted not being part of your wedding. 

Matt fished Friday & Saturday while we set up. He was in heaven and was in need of this R&R time!

Beautiful lake at Camp High Rocks 

Blaire & a bridesmaid! 

Awesome bridal party! 

Blaire made all of the scarves that the bridesmaids were wearing. All hand painted silk scarves, each different for the individual. 

Me and my handsome man! 

Another great think about being one of Blaire's bridesmaids is she told all of us to wear a black dress. So we picked whatever we wanted, whatever style, material, whatever jewelry & shoes. 

Made things less stressful. 

She was beautiful like a goddess! Her dress was perfect for her! Loved it! 

The handsome groom, Zach! 

Having a little fun with the groom!

Unfortunately, it was back to reality way too soon after the wedding but such is life. It was good to get home and see our furry critters and turtle. Which by the way, TURTLE IS A GIRL!! You don't even want to know how the heck I found that out, but yep, Turtle is a girl!

This weekend, my supervisor from work, Kristen King, is coming over to do a photo shoot with Matt, me and our animals. Should make for a very interesting time as Kristen has never photographed animals before. Trying to get one horse and two dogs all in sync will be fun. No cats or turtle for pic but be on the look out for some funny family pics.

Til next time.....Rock on!