On January 25, 2025 at 8:25am, we lost our beloved Charlie; a gentle and stalwart companion of over 20 years.
Charlie was so much more than a horse. He was a companion, a teacher, a comedian, a friend, and a healer. Throughout the years, he made his way into our hearts in ways I could have never imagined. Of course, my beloved could.
CeCe had been around horses since she was young. Years before she and I met, she had a ranch in Arizona where she stabled three rescue horses she owned. As was the way of her heart, she trained and cared for these wonderful creatures for years. When she decided to move to Virginia, she brought her equine companions along as part of her living menagerie that included a few dogs and cats. But a couple of years later at her new farm, CeCe lost all three horses to a terrible accident during a storm. That loss struck her deeply, and she feared that she would never be able to have horses again.
But life always has a way of keeping the embers of passion alive in your heart. Not even a year after CeCe and I were married, a happenstance visit to a regional park revealed a simple truth: Her love of horses was very much alive. We began an adventure of sorts as we visited other regional parks that stabled horses. Eventually, conversations would ensue about owning a horse of our own. My complete lack of knowledge regarding horses gave me a small measure of consent to broach that subject. We visited numerous parks and stables in several states. But it was at a nondescript farm in Virginia that we met Charlie. He was a retired racehorse; a thoroughbred whose illustrious career on the track had earned him a much-deserved lifetime of grazing and shameless pampering.
Keep in mind: I had no knowledge about horses, yet I knew the exact moment when the connection occurred. When CeCe went up to Charlie and showered her with affection, I knew what that look in her eyes meant; nothing would ever be the same again. A couple of days later, I called the farm and purchased Charlie with no clue about what to do next. I went back out and did a photo shoot with Charlie. I had devised a plan to surprise CeCe with him for our anniversary and would do so by presenting her a framed picture of her new companion. As anniversary gifts go, I hit a peak that year; CeCe was absolutely fine with that.
Thus began a journey of love and of learning; one that would create amazing and indelible memories that brought absolute joy into our hearts. CeCe had found a trusting soul with whom to share her passions and exorcise the pain and anguish from that terrifying loss all those years before. Through Charlie, CeCe reignited her passions for music and dance, and I learned about the incredible capacity for love and companionship that reside in a horse’s heart. A few short hours before CeCe passed away from cancer in 2023, Charlie soothed her soul and gave her the happiest moments of her life. For me, he gave me the strength to endure an insurmountable loss. During these past sixteen months after CeCe’s passing, Charlie taught me that the best way to heal a shattered heart was to seek out the beauty and simplicity of nature. That’s where all the all the love in the world goes to nurture and renew; it’s how love heals the world.
I’ll keep looking. I have no doubt that on some future moonlit night, I may hear the gentle footfalls of his hooves on the soft turf in the back field; along with the gentle whispers of my beloved saying, Good boy, Charlie; good boy.
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