On Saturday I lost friends, the kind that you turn to when nothing makes sense.  Who forgive you when you make mistakes and are patient even when you keep repeating them.  I lost some of my greatest partners, teammates who have allowed me to accomplish things I could never do on my own.  I lost many of my teachers, whose lessons, whether big or small, will stick with me forever.
There is only one reason why I’ve chosen to share this, in hopes that you can please think of all who were effected by this tragedy – from the horse owners, to the family who owned the barn and the firefighters who responded to the scene – and send positive thoughts their way.  This is something that cannot be dealt with alone and the support of others is critical in healing from such a loss.
I want to end this post on a positive note and leave you with a quote from the barn’s head trainer and a dear friend of mine, Marion.  Her strength in the face of such devastation has been both an inspiration and comfort to us all.