At LivingWell, we believe in the benefit of community. Think of the "it takes a village" idea. As humans, we are wired for connection. And there is a benefit to relying on each other: we learn from each other, we support one another, and we create new opportunities that make us greater together then if we were simply flying solo.
Today we experienced just that. LivingWell participated in a an auction at the neighboring Amish farm in hopes to purchase a mule for the therapeutic programming that we offer the community at our LivingWell farm down the dirt road from the picture you see here.
For those who are not familiar with the concept of community for the Amish, this picture represents multiple families coming together for the next generation of family, distributing resources among the community as the eldest of the family married and joined in the ownership of the farm. It also represents the blending of multiple cultures, generations, and mindsets on a windy day in central Pennsylvania with fresh doughnuts, soft pretzels, and lots of laughter and connection.
For LivingWell, it meant a step into something new as we branch out into owning livestock for the benefit of helping those who struggle with trauma, addiction, mental illness, chronic pain, and family crisis to find connection with one of the most loving, sensitive, and intuitive animals: our mule named Cali. It also created new relationships with our neighbors to share in our unique perspectives and the common bonds we share human to human.
Cali is a 30 year old Amish mule. She is a cross between a Belgian draft horse and a donkey, and she has worked on Amish farms for the majority of her life. Our Amish neighbors who owned her said she was real frisky as a young mule and difficult to control. In her senior years, she is the most docile, loving, and gentle animal we have in our herd. We invite you to come and meet her!
At the end of this day, I can honestly say how much iLove community. What we endeavor to accomplish at our LivingWell Farm is an intentional community, where all are welcome and where each can feel the depth of a personal connection, the warm embrace of the sense of home, and the freedom to explore the fullness of who they were created to be.
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