Familiar Faces

Began my second session today, my first as a solo instructor. It was really exciting, and kind of a bit of everything coming full circle.

My class consists of several clients that have moved from the Independence site, which I was a Teaching Assistant at for a long time, so many of the faces were very familiar. All the time I spent there, at the shrine barn, learning about these clients and about the program. It was these clients that had taught me about different things, hooked me into the teaching part of the program.

So to start class and see their progress and successes is really cool. Now I can watch them grow on these different horses at a new site with new classmates. There's more to learn, me included. I guess that's another thing about WCR, often there are attachments that are made to a client, horse, volunteer, instructor, and because of the strength and longevity of the program we can follow each other as we grow and change.

And it's not just in the riding ring, over the last two years I've been to graduation parties for two of our clients. But we are all living lives, and having this common place to meet once a week for months out of the year. Through orchestra and band concerts, proms, starting school, birthdays, etc.

Every week when we ask what's new, talking about those things in our lives, and to look back at how long you've been in the program together, and all the things that have happened and changed. And that we were doing this, together, all the way along. I bet I don't even know that much compared to the beloved Bev & Dick. They know better than anyone what it means to watch someone change through the years and WCR. I'm only beginning to see what that means.

Well, for fear of rambling, I'll be done. Sometimes this program just moves me, and I realize how lucky I am to be receiving this kind of "therapy" in return for my service. It's definitely better than getting paid.