Walking by Madrid’s Royal Palace, my family and I stumbled upon a Christmas carousel. Naturally, my nieces wanted to ride so we made our way over.
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While waiting in line, we watched the kids revolve around the carousel in and out of sight. We noticed one of the bigger girls, about 6-years old, unquestionably dejected. She was riding the only horse that didn’t dance. While all the other kids bobbed up and down around her, she was on a motionless horse that didn’t do anything. She sat slumped, sides of her mouth sharply turned downwards, her face scrunched up holding back tears.
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When our turn arrived, we instructed the nieces, “Choose a horse with a pole. Not that small one; it doesn’t move.”
And “Hold on to the pole with both hands. BOTH hands.”
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The music started, and the next revolution began. Kids appeared and disappeared, tentatively releasing a hand from the poles to wave at their parents.
Then we heard “Mama! Mama! Miraaaa!” A little girl of barely 4-years old spun past us. She was on the same motionless horse, her body leaned waaay back against it, one arm dancing in the air rodeo-style. She spun out of vision.
Then she came back, this time with one leg standing on a wooden stirrup, the other leg floating behind her. “Mira Mamaaa!” She disappeared again.
She returned, “Mamaaa!”, in jockey position, bouncing on her horse, slapping its wooden culo.
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She had us all in stitches and in awe. While one kid saw a dud of a horse, this rockstar kid saw a safe platform for her equestrian dreams.
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May we all see the rodeo in any and every horse we’re on. Merry Christmas!