It's not even 7 and my oldest just came walking down the hall to the bathroom. I'm impressed by her devotion to the volunteer job she has taken at the horse farm. Three days a week she's there by 7:30 doing an adult job and doing it well. She has scraped horses hooves, wrapped injured ankles, hauled hay and mucked stalls. She helps train to halters, works the horses in the circle thingy (I don't know what it's called, I'm no cowboy), she cleans tack and walks miles a day in open pasture.

I am proud beyond words. According to the farm's supervisor, she puts in a days work equal to anyone else on the farm. She never complains and she doesn't waste time. Today she will walk her miles in open pasture with rain that doesn't stop, and will she complain? Not one bit. She loves what she is doing - knows already that she wants to do this for her whole life - and she's only 11 years old. She is right at home with dozens of horses milling about her, and they are equally comfortable with her in their midst. If I ever doubted that she is meant for this to be her life's work, the horses answered that for me. She is.

I've watched her carry hundreds of pounds of food, stand at the side of horses large enough to dwarf a car, and lead 30 horses with no more than a bucket of oats. It is magically enthralling to see destiny dance openly in front of one so young. It is a gift to see her realize that destiny and embrace it.

It's time to go now...more later, maybe.