I consider myself a student of life. Life is my teacher and I am it’s pupil learning as I go. Every show I attend, I seem to learn something new. Something I come home with. For the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC last month, I learned resilience.

It was not an easy show. The buildings were half-built, events were cancelled, and the facility was looking down the barrel of Hurricane Florence. On top of that, Ladybug underwent an exceptionally risky and expensive surgery and I struggled with a crippling amount of doubt, fear, and hopelessness back home. Times like this are hard. You feel like you are running as hard as you can through quicksand – falling deeper and deeper despite every ounce of fight.

But then resilience kicks in. Our fellow vendors came together to earn laughter and friendship in exchange for a bit of discomfort. Equestrians converged from all across the globe to celebrate the horse. The state of North Carolina stepped up to face the storm as a unit. Ladybug conquers the surgery and keeps her unborn baby safe. My faith expands in ways I can’t quite describe. Credit increases. Heeled knee.

Resilience.