Freedom...Her Name Was Freedom ❤

Freedom was her name...
A wild mustang brought South for a little farm girl like me to learn to rope and ride on, or at least in my 14 year old mind I was gonna be that ideal cowgirl. Lol
Black as night she was, fearless and bold.
My stringbean self climbed up on her bare back, holding tight behind my teacher, a night ride was in the works.
I had never felt any more free as a child then when I was mounted up and hitting the trails.
However, this night was different, a storm was rolling in and was so mean looking. I continually asked, do you think we should just wait and ride when its light and not getting ready to storm? Praying she would agree.
No luck, she laughed, dimples showing, crazy blonde hair with curls just as wild as she was, and reassured me we were gonna be ok. I trusted her instruction, she was after all my stepmother/horse instructor 😂
As we headed down the road, the street lamp comfort faded behind us, I'm sure she could feel my hug tightening with every step.
We weren't the only ones riding that night, there were three others with us.
I could hear the others in the front talking to each other saying, oh yeah...we should.
I didnt have a clue what they were conspiring but I knew it had something to do with the route we were gonna take to get to the top the hill. You see, there was this newly black topped road where their shoes were making such nice rhythmic clippiddy clops, then there was to our direct right what seemed like to my little girl self, an impassible mountain. Surely we were not gonna ditch the paved road for no logical reason whatsoever?
Before I had time to suggest just for reassurance that that wasnt the way we were getting to our destination, all I could hear was heeyaw, clicking with Jowls and kicks to the sides of these massive animals.
Without hesitation, and fear of being left behind, Freedom took the lead, my heart pounding louder with every clap of thunderous hooves digging in dirt that was quickly becoming mud, because by this point it was pouring the rain down.
Flashes of lightening lighting the vertical slope, with every beat of my body hitting the horses highs and lows of the run, holding on with all I had, I was at a point of strength where I knew she was gonna lose me. At that second, I made a fight or flight decision, of course letting go was what I chose...I just let go.
Thunder crashing, lightening striking, hooves of horses pounding in a rhythmic way that sounded like we were headed to war...and I let go.
Without a doubt, I just knew this is where I was gonna die, however, as soon as i made the decision to just let the unknown happen to me, everything started moving in what seemed to be slow motion. As my body started to fall backwards, after letting go of Shelly, at the brink of certain death, we topped the mountain. I swear, I dont know how I stayed on that beautiful heart pounding ride, but it's an ingrained memory that holds such a life lesson that I love to think back on.
Through all that beauty and fear, the pounding of hearts and hooves, it was there, in the freedom of the ride that I learned to let go and let God.

Ya know when rain hits the car windshield, ya know ...before the next round of help from the wipers and everything is magnified and blurry. Well, my certain death was exactly like that.
Hair soaked, skinny legs sore from the strength it took to squeeze a grip on my horse. Lol But God knew my ability, and to save this as a beautiful memory instead of creating a fear of riding and letting go, he allowed us to top the mountain, in spite of the storm.