More than anything for me, the experience of Simon has been about opening up. And working together – with Maria – to heal him and communicate with him.

There are so many things going on emotionally with me and Simon it is hard to even list them. Around the farm, there used to be a “me,” and now there’s an “us.” Maria and I have been drawn even closer by our working to together to acclimate and help this sweet and accepting creature, brought back from the edge of darkness and life. Then there’s the powerful emotional experience of rescue and rehabilitation. Concerns about projecting, emotionalizing, being self-righteous, dealing with anger. The management of these emotions with animals is difficult, and it is simpler sometimes to just use it to feel good about yourself. A trap, I think.

Simon is opening up. This morning, Maria and I went out to see all three donkeys braying softly, calling to us. We groomed and brushed them, as we do every day, but then something extraordinary happened, and the three donkeys opened up and opened us up, and were an entity, and we both began talking to Simon, and he to us. We did it differently, in keeping with our own psyches.  I’m glad it was caught on video and thanks to Maria for encouraging me to let her do it, rather than just take images of her.  That was out of balance. I shouldn’t be hiding behind the video camera, and I don’t want to use her to do that.

Those of you who have been following the blog perhaps know how difficult this was for me to do. But that is the message of Simon to me. Keep on loving. And open up, open up, open up. Come and see. I am very pleased and unnerved to be sharing this very private thing with you. Opening up is not easy for me, or for men generally. I work at it every day. Come and see.