FEBRUARY 9, 2019: “… And They NEVER Saw Him Coming!” …

He is moving like a tremendous machine!

It was June 9, 1973. I was only four years old at the time and so far removed from anything to do with horses that it’s almost comical to think that through my daughter I, no, “we” as a family are now in the fledgling stages of this equestrian world. Meanwhile, today Gia and I watched Secretariat for at least the 20th time since we first saw it when she was four. In fact, it was the second movie we ever took her to together back when Williamson and I were still dating and I was slowly letting them get to know each other. This time was special, however, because of the tear jerker of a discussion we had that followed:

Momma, who does he remind you of?

Hmm? There are actually TWO people he reminds me of and I’ve ALWAYS thought it. I’m curious to hear if we think the same.

Well? Who’s the one man we know that no one had faith in? The one that no one believed in. The one that everyone said would be the worst thing that ever happened to us? The one they never saw coming? It’s daddy. He’s OUR Secretariat!

Gia, I’m so proud of you for making that correlation. I feel the same. Except, who ELSE do we still need to have faith in so HE can run HIS race?

BUBBA! That’s so true! But mom, there’s a third person I’m also thinking of.

Who?

YOU! Not a lot of people had much faith in YOU either. You’ve ALSO proven a lot of people wrong!

If there were just one moment in time I could travel back to and personally witness, it would be the Belmont Stakes when that TREMENDOUS machine defied every odd stacked against him and made a mockery of all the people drunk on SHAMpain in the crowd.

If you’ve never seen the movie or read about “The Horse That God Built”, do it! It’s so much more than just a movie about a horse. It’s the story of what can happen when one living creature truly believes in another and how faith can make miracles out of anyone. That’s what made OUR little family what it is today by the way … a miracle of FAITH! I’m so lucky to be surrounded by people I’ll never stop believing in as I watch them run their races with no reins!