Last year, I was gifted a “Caregivers Retreat” in Colorado through “No Barriers”. You see, I am my brother’s caregiver since his stroke in 2016. He is an amazing man. He worked hard to recover; to learn to cope with losing most of his sight in one eye, to learn to walk again… so many things he overcame.
That Retreat was a life changer for me. I climbed a wall (I’m terrified of heights) with a “rope team”, not just on ropes to keep me safe, but of other caregivers cheering me on… we learned all about Rope Teams in life.
It was surreal. Camping and hiking in Colorado (I used to live in Boulder), I was doing things just for myself. Mark and his team took care of the horses. Everyone checked on my brother, Billy. I had no worries. And I found my courage again, in ways I did not expect! I was there in the spring. I flew to Denver from Albuquerque to get there. I drove our truck to Albuquerque and parked it at the airport (No Barriers supplied my tickets, so I left from where they decided).
After a glorious and introspective few days, they got us all to the airport in Denver. With my backpack, purse and a tote, I found my way to the boarding area after 2 hours getting through a 1/4 mile long line for TSA. My flight was cancelled. There was no other plane to New Mexico for 3 days. As they tried to help me and I worked to not panic, I thought “anything to El Paso, Texas?” I had had to go out of the secured area – there was an El Paso flight in 10 minutes… I would have to go back through TSA… I was hyper-ventilating. The lady double checked and discovered the flight was delayed getting to Denver, I had 30 minutes!
I made it, barely, got on the smallest plane United has! It was a bumpy ride to El Paso, where Mark met me, got me home and then on a bus to Albuquerque to retrieve our truck!! I had planned to visit a friend in Taos, so I drove there (feeling like a zombie) and spent the night. Then, zombie-like, I drove home. Whew. Had I not just spent all those days building my courage and strength, I would have fallen apart.
Come summer, the opportunity for a scholarship for Billy and me to go to Estes Park for a No Barriers Summit was a miracle we grabbed with both hands! I had to drive us there (same truck) and it was 15 hours on the road with all the construction and city traffic along the way. We were knackered when we got there.
It was an amazing experience. I worried (too much) about Billy the first day and night – but he blossomed! He flew kites, he hiked a 6+ mile group hike (with disabled people like himself) the last day at very high altitude! I hiked it, too, all uphill. There was a lunch picnic after the hike, then we were on the road, me driving back to southern New Mexico.
Traffic in Denver was awful. There was construction everywhere and it got dark quickly! When we finally got to Raton Pass, it was storming (huge lightning, hail, rain like someone turned on a tap) and the road was down to one lane with NO lines and no visibility. By the time we got down from the Pass, I was shaking badly. But we made it. Billy was the best “co-pilot” ever!
At a rest stop, still pouring rain, we sat and I caught my breath. I would not have made it without all the things I was learning from No Barriers. Billy said, “that was like watching a horror movie at a drive-in movie theater” It had to be scary for him! I burst out laughing!
It was more like 17 hours to drive home. Billy kept me awake (no small task at that point). It was possibly the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. And, that time with my brother was a real miracle. He was my Rope Team…
So, when I look at Dharmahorse, I see a Rope Team of helpers making sure these horses are safe and healthy. While Mark and I have the 24/7/365 responsibility, the Team we have here makes it all possible! None of us, in life, is facing challenges alone. If it seems that way, we just have to look around for the good people on the same path. I felt so different after meeting all the caregivers at the retreat. I could say anything… they understood. I wasn’t alone.
No Barriers says, “What’s within you is stronger than what’s in your way”, boy, did I learn that!
Stablewomen 