We are not a petting zoo!
April 20, 2024
We are not a petting zoo.
I say that as I sit on the barn floor, petting away. I think that as I lean over a sweet donkey’s neck soaking up their allowance of my affections. I believe that as I cop a squat on a tree stump in the middle of the goat paddock with little hooves pawing for treats. I feel it observing my horses running free in the wind or hearing the cows billow their manipulative cry pretending they are starving to death, though they have hay at their hooves and are really just spoiled and wanting treats. Still yet, I mean it to my very core,. We are not a petting zoo.
WhistleStop Acres is not a place to come and play with animals. There are beautiful places where that is the purpose and I love them all! It’s just not who we are and as we prepare for our summer kick off, I find myself urgent to ensure the message is clear….of who we are not, but even more, remind everyone who we ARE! WhistleStop is a place to heal, hope, reflect, grow, and inspire. We are rooted in a core belief that has become a deep-rooted need, to partner with animals in order to cultivate community, sustainability, and personal growth.
What, though, does that mean, really? Honestly, it’s simple. At the core of every decision, every social media post, every event, every group, every therapy session, every interaction exists a passionate belief in people and their ability to live a life of fulfilled greatness! Every person, no matter their history, culture, background, mistakes, successes, family structures, etc. have a need for belonging, purpose, and peace. Connecting to others, building skills to sustain our lives while engaging in nature, and finding our purpose through personal growth is a pathway to living our best lives.
And here’s the thing. Everyone knows someone… or IS that someone… that is struggling. Life is hard. Life brings challenges, hurdles, setbacks, and hurts. Sometimes the weight of it all can become overwhelming. Talking about it can be even more overwhelming. Animals level the playing field. They take the edge off. Getting out in nature, engaging in animal interactions or digging in the garden dirt, is like opening the steam release on a pressure cooker. Just being in this setting, releases the stress and opens the space where opportunities abound to begin the process of creating the changes you need or want in order to move beyond all the hard and into your hope. This may come in the form of an event where you cuddle cows and eat ice cream, or it may come through more intense work in a therapeutic setting; but out here, the opportunity is there for it to happen at any level…. Because we are not a petting zoo!
So, as you look at our events, remember our core. Invite that person to join a community event, as it may open the door to their ability to say yes to themselves and the healing they need. Come dig in our garden with us, interact with our animals, spend a day with us in a workshop, send your kiddo to camp, or drink in the taste of nature while realizing you need a slow down more than you knew. More than anything, ask yourselves, do I or someone I knew need support to reach the next level of living my best life? We specialize in helping people overcome obstacles, heal what they didn’t even know was holding them back, and building an obtainable action-based plan to create the life they deserve.
Our animals remind us that we have voice and choice and when those are honored, healing comes, relationships build, and life is sweet like a field of wildflowers!
sincerely,
Robin