Brittany Burgunder

THEY SAVED ME

“Never make fun of someone’s passion because that’s the thing that saves them from the world.” -Unknown

You all know how much I love horses. They saved me. They saved me despite the relentless teasing I received because of my love for them. I was a little girl. I was shy. It started in pre-school. It continued throughout elementary school before I started to slowly shut down by middle school. I loved horses. I’d bring toy horses for show and tell at school. I’d wear clothing with horses on them. I loved Lisa Frank horse stickers. I loved horses. Period. But day in and day out, my peers didn’t think that was okay. They found a weakness in me … something to make fun of. I remember every time I’d have to walk up to the front of the class in elementary school to give a book report -boys would shout out the worst remarks leaving my kind teachers having to quiet them. Looking back I don’t know how I did it. To have no friends, be tormented by the one thing I felt made the world okay and then go stand in front of my class of 30 students and give a speech at 10 years old … It makes me sad. But they didn’t win.

Because you know what? I never stopped riding. I never stopped loving horses. I rode till my death in many ways … I joined the equestrian team at UC Davis despite my failing health. I rode until I couldn’t. And in so many ways they saved me, helped me hang on, gave me something to look forward to at my worst. And when I say my “worst,” don’t think I’m talking about my weight. It has nothing to do with that. I was at my worst at all different shapes and sizes. It’s about your mind and your relationship with yourself.

But what a beautiful thing it is that I am living my passion so fiercely and lovingly every single day unapologetically. And if anyone ever makes you feel less than about something you love, I want you to remember that only means you are lucky. How lucky are you that someone else is unfortunately jealous of something you so passionately love. ~Britt

Spread the love