Lessons from Dad

by Mark Rigby

From a young age, my Dad has introduced me to new things. At about the age of 8 I had my first horseback lessons. I was small and short and the horses were twice my height. They smelled funny and were scary! I first brushed the horse then I fed it. Eventually I was on its back. I wanna say this horse’s name was Sparky. So sparky was gentle and old, but I was scared to death. 

Over time, Sparky and I became friends. I learned to trust my Dad’s encouragements to trust Sparky. I wouldn’t say we got up to a gallop or even trot, but I learned new trust, a new skill, and made a new friend that day.

Fast forward 10 years, where my Dad took us on a horse packing trip in the woods of Wyoming. Oh boy, another horse! (Well, this one was actually a donkey.) Because I had learned to ride Sparky, I was experienced enough for this opportunity to go on this trip, it was a chance to trust my Dad and Dan The Donkey.

Dan was stubborn. Dan didn’t like me much. He rubbed me off on a rock and I fell off, but I got back on. He took the low road, overlooking the cliff, when everyone else took the high road. 

Was I still nervous around Dan? Yes. But did I have more confidence because of what my Dad had taught me, and knowing he was right there? You bet! So, though I was sore and blistered, and it was a long trip, Dan gave me one of the greatest gifts, an unforgettable time with my family in the hills of Wyoming. 

The moral of the story is: when we are put in new situations, we can learn new skills. We can learn to trust, whether it be our Father in Heaven or whomever we are working with. With time and hard work we can come to enjoy those opportunities and look back on them fondly as we get older. Possibly even share them with others 🙂