Willows Voice

It was a cool spring afternoon. The sun was still above the horizon, lighting the rock walls that followed the river. As I grew closer to the pasture, I noticed Willows’s stance, her ears were erect turned forward as if she was listening to something and she was staring at the rock wall and a steep incline on the river’s edge. I called to her several times, and she quickly glanced at me, but her focus returned to the same spot. I could feel her speaking to me, so I stopped and listened as the energy flowed through the air between us. I called to her once again, and she turned and took a few steps toward me to get closer and ran back to the same spot and took the same stance that she had moments ago.

I walked towards the river, trying to see what she wanted to tell me. I could not see anything as I scanned the hillside, so I once again called Willow to come into the Barn for her evening treat, but she refused! She ran to the barn and then back to the same spot with a bossy trot as if to say to me Do not just hear me; truly listen to me. I once again stood back and looked, and there it was, a small red and white puppy running frantically back and forth along the edge of the river that ran along our property. I could tell it was as unsettled as Willow was, so I walked to the river and saw a little black puppy desperately trying to get back onto the bank of the river. I was now a bit frantic because although the river was not moving at all, this puppy was far to small to get back up on its own I had to do something. I could not reach it because the river was too deep for me to cross, but it was not that wide, so I thought I might be able to use a branch from a fallen tree to try to help its sibling. I reached for the tree branch but was not able to lift it, so instead floated it across as close to the puppy as I could get it so he could get his paws up onto it, hoping that he would then be high enough to pull himself to the dirt ledge and get up to safety. As soon as it reached the edge, the little pup could get on to the bank, and its sibling just showered it with love. As I looked back, Willow was still watching, but her ears were not turned forward, and she started to walk to the barn to greet me this time.

I have learned over the years working with orphaned and neglected animals that they always have a story to tell me.

When I heard about Willow, she had no name at the time and was unwanted by the family who had her. I had the room and decided that I would like to use the beautiful pasture area to give her a new home where she would be wanted, so we went to see her. When we arrived, a man had her on a lead, but she was so unsettled as he was walking her toward me as if she feared what was happening. When he stopped, I asked him if I could take the lead to walk with her, and he obliged, so I began to walk her away from him, but she kept looking back and turning as if she had to keep him in her line of sight. It was not until she could sense the distance between the two of them that she became a bit more relaxed. I walked her back after a bit, and as we approached him she again became agitated, he took her lead and said if you don’t want her, that’s fine. She immediately locked eyes with me and spoke to me. It was as if we were peering into each other souls. My response was immediate No! I will take her.

My husband was hesitant because he was afraid that I would not be able to handle her once we got her home, but when I looked at him, he to heard my unspoken words, and the decision was made.

On the drive home, we stopped to get her some supplies that we would need, and Willow called to me as I walked away from the truck and trailer I called back to her your name is Willow, and your life is about to change, my friend.

When we arrived home, Willow was a different Donkey. She walked off the trailer and just stared at the pasture and the Willow tree, which she was named after. As I write this story, it has been about six months since she came into our lives, and she has been a calm wonderful loving being. Every morning she calls out to us, and when we call back and tell her we will be down soon, she waits patiently until she sees us and runs to greet us. Willow reminds me often that if you listen, animals do speak to you.