​Ever since I was a child, I was always drawn to animals. My mom had a love affair with dogs so we always seemed to have one around. At one point, she started breeding Dachshunds to earn money for Christmas, she was quite the savvy stay at home mom and was always coming up with ways to help my father support the family. 

Many years ago, while in Illinois where I lived until I was 13 years old, my dad and his brothers owned a farm. There were share croppers that would work the land but back then, a 20 minute drive seemed like an eternity so we never had any animals on the property much to my sadness because my parents reasoned that it was too far to care for them plus, we didn't have a lot of money starting out. However, there was one little nugget that I got to enjoy on the farmer's land next to ours, her name was Gold Dust and she was the most beautiful Palomino colored horse you have ever seen. Because of her, my love affair with horses took off and never went away.

One of the things I noticed and still remember years later, is how being with her made me feel. I can only describe it in simple words like calm, respectful, grateful, and happy but there are so many other feelings that she conjured up simply standing there in her presence that I don't think words can do justice to.

My desire, of course, was to own my own horse some day but dreams have a funny way of being strung on for reasons that I may not understand at the time, only to be relieved years and years later.

Fast forward to the present and I can only describe this to you in a spiritual way as I know that the good Lord above has led me on this path that I am on right now. It's not always been easy, but now I know without a doubt why He chose this route.

As a Pediatric Occupational Therapist of over 25 years, I have always been overjoyed seeing the many different therapies go in unheard of directions. I am so happy that SOMEBODY finally figured out that using animals around people and kids is some of the most 'healing-ist' stuff out there. I can attest to this as I use my dog Scout in therapy all of the time and that little fella can get kids to do stuff I would have never dreamed could be pulled out of them.

By the grace of God, I have run across several horsewomen over the last few years that I have connected on so many levels with and now I have the honor of offering Hippotherapy and Horse Assisted Therapy as part of my practice because y'all, horses heal and that book I have pictured up there is probably one of the most profound books I have ever read in my life and I thank Tim Hayes for taking the time to write it. If you think you know all about horses, well, test yourself reading his book and I'll bet you'll learn a thing or two. I know I did and I feel that his book answered and verified all of the thoughts I have always had about horses like:

1. They know more than you think

2. They only behave in the here and now and feed off of what you are giving off so if you are angry, they may not come up to you, but instead, walk away because you are freaking them out and they have to protect themselves

3. They are hypervigilent in order to survive as they have for thousands and thousands of years

4. Their eyes and ears can work separately from each other and boy can you tell a lot from their eyes, ears, and tail-you just have to watch

5. Their goal in life is to not be eaten so things like a bag blowing across their pasture will freak them the heck out because they go into, "Is that going to eat me," mode

6. Horses heal and that's all I need to say about that

7. No, you don't have to enjoy a horse by riding him/her, they are great to enjoy on the ground, in fact, that's what I prefer, just being with them

I am so honored that I have the opportunity to offer Hippotherapy and Horse Assisted Therapy to the kids that I get the privilege of working with everyday. In my quest to treat the whole child, I was divinely guided and I and thankful everyday!

​Check Tim's book out y'all, it is something else.

Over the last year as an OT, I have seen a lot of parents over-adapting situations to accommodate their children and keep them happy but in doing so, they are creating a child that will never learn anything if he/she isn't allowed to fail, fall, get hurt, etc. 

As the quote says, 'failure is a part of life,' and a vital one at that. The reason this has come to my attention is because I myself am guilty of over-accommodating at my clinic. If a parent or child complains of something such as, "These prizes stink. When are you going to get new ones," I would find myself running out that night to get 'better' prizes to accommodate the complaint. I also found myself 'hiding' things from kids that I knew they wanted but couldn't have when I really should have said, "No, you can't have that so chose something else." 

So, I had a come to Jesus with myself and I am not going to do this anymore because I am adding to the problem I speak of today. Now, this isn't to say that I will put your child in harms way such as having peanuts in the clinic if I know your child is allergic or any other danger but, I will tell them to get over it if the prizes aren't good because that's just life and you'll have to wait . . . oh no, not wait.

Kids need to be told no, they need to fall and get hurt, they need to have their heart broken once, they need to get their feelings hurt, etc., etc. I know this may make me sound horrible but the only way they will know what it feels like is if it happens to them and then the success will be what they learn from it. The world cannot possibly accommodate every human being on the planet, that would be called heaven and we don't have that here on Earth. 

It would be if a brain surgeon tried to explain brain surgery to you . . . you'd nod your head as a courtesy but inside you would be thinking, "What in the heck is he talking about?" The only way you would know what it 'feels' like would be to do it. Only then would it make sense to you on a cellular level and the experience would cause you to learn. Make sense?

A broken heart will make you stronger.
A fall will give you a bloody knee but I'll bet you won't do that dumb wheelie on your bike the same way you did this time because it made you scrap your knee.
If the prize box doesn't have the prize you want, then you have to learn patience for when it is refilled.
If another kid hurts your feelings, you will feel it yes and it will stink, but if you have learned anything from this then you wouldn't do that to someone else because you remember how it felt.
If they don't make a good grade on their test, well, they need to study harder.

I could go on and on but my point is failure is absolutely necessary for everyone even kids with special needs. If you want these kids to try and be an active part of society, then they have to fail. Now, I'm not talking about taking their wheelchair away or any other cruel action . . . use your common sense here . . . you know what I mean . . . within reason as a teaching tool.

I have 5 kids of my own and I've seen all of the various failings they have had happen to them, some done to themselves, and some done to them. It stinks I know and it breaks my heart but I know that this is the way of life and the value of the failure comes when they've learned something to tuck into their little coconuts sitting on top of their shoulders.

Hang in their y'all, you are doing a good job, just let them fail some.

WHERE TO APPLY ESSENTIAL OILS ON THE BODYMarch 13, 2013
by Plant Therapy
By: Retha Nesmith, Certified Aromatherapist
When it comes to Essential Oils the saying “I’d rather be safe than sorry” should be taken seriously. Essential oils are very potent and may cause *irritation to some skin types. To be SAFE rather than SORRY, always start by applying the essential oil to the least sensitive part of your body, the bottom of your feet!
Where to Apply Essential Oils On the Body

• Soles and top of feet
• Ankles
• Over Vital Organs
• Abdomen
• Upper Back
• Neck
• Behind  Ears
• Temples
• Crown of Head

OK! So really you can apply essential most any where on your body! 
How to Apply Essential Oils (this is where it can get a little tricky and confusing)
BEFORE you start, always remember to test a small area of the skin first. If irritation occurs, immediately add a carrier oil over the irritated spot to help dilute the essential oil.
If you only remember ONE thing from this post, I want it to be this: When it comes to using essential oils, LESS is better! Like I said before, essential oils are very potent and you don’t need very much to get the therapeutic benefits of using essential oils. You can always add more if needed.
–Diluting Essential Oils (not only will this save you money, but it is safer)

• For children and infants: 1 drop of essential oil per Tbsp of carrier oil is generally a safe rule to follow (.2% dilution)
• For Adults: 2 drop of essential oil per tsp of carrier oil (.75%)
• When using in a massage a 2%-5% dilution is a good start
• Check out THIS link for carrier oils

–Applying Essential Oils Neat (not diluted with a carrier oil)

• There are some essential oils that sometimes can be applied neat. I usually do not recommend this though
• If you choose to apply the essential oil neat, please get advice from an experienced Aromatherapist first!

Now that we have gone over all of the basics, this is how I like to use my essential oils when applying to my body (use the above recommendations for diluting):
-When I am not feeling my best, I like to apply diluted Germ-Fighter and Immune-Aid to the bottom of my feet and Respir-Aid to my chest. This helps support healthy immune function.
-When I have occasional stomach problems, I like to apply diluted Digest-Aid or Tummy-Aid (depending on the problem) to my stomach. I will massage in a circular motion.
-When I have head or neck tension, I like to apply diluted Tension Relief or Peppermint to my temples, forehead and/or back of neck.
-When I my muscles are occasionally sore from exercise or overuse, I will apply diluted Muscle-Aid or Pain-Aid to affected area.
-When I am in need of some an energy boost or in need of relaxing, I like to apply diluted Energy or Invigor-Aid (for energy) to my wrist and Relax or Tranquil (for relaxing) to my wrist. I will take a whiff when needed!
These are usually the essential oils that I will apply to my body (or families body) when needed! Remember there are so many more essential oils you can use and so many more uses for these essential oils! These are just the ones that I apply to my body most often!
For more essential oils and there uses, check out www.planttherapy.com. Just click on the essential oil you want to learn more about and read their suggested uses ideas!
*Essential Oils that MAY cause irritation (this is not a complete list)

• Camphor
• Cinnamon
• Fir Needle
• Oregano
• Pine
• Sage (Dalmation)
• Spruce
• Tagetes
• Thyme

**NOTE The advice shared is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease nor is it intended to replace proper medical advice. When using essential oils we always recommend you consult with your doctor.

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