There Is No Path . . .

Quote From A Poem by Antonio Machado ( In Spanish )

“… caminante, no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar.
Al andar se hace camino,
y al volver la vista atrás
se ve la senda que nunca
se ha de volver a pisar…”

And English Translation (Wikipedia’s version)-

“… wayfarer, there is no path,
you make the path as you walk.
As you walk you make the path,
and as you turn to glance behind
you see the trail that you never
shall return to tread again.”

Did I mention I used to speak Spanish and tutor Spanish? I have not had the opportunity to use my Spanish in many years. My current foreign-language abilities are rusty. Even so, I do enjoy sitting down on occasion and reading a book or magazine in Spanish. Catching a TV program in the language is fun too.

I am pretty sure I had read the above poem before in a literature class. It struck me with new meaning this time around. In my case, the poem got me to thinking that our relationships with our horses are paths that we forge one step at a time.

When we first meet a horse, there is no relationship. Over time, by walking together, we form the path. We shape the outlines and the contours with every interaction. When that relationship is over for whatever reason, there will never be another quite like it. An equally beautiful and bitter thought. All the more reason to tend to and appreciate the current paths we are on with our horses.