Special Episode: For the Children

Today's episode is about Lorie Murphey's chapter in our upcoming book Animal Prints On My Soul.Pre order here: absolutelovepublishing.com/animal-prints-on-my-soul/

For more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Well, hello everyone, and welcome back to the Divas at Care. My name is Candace Gish. Well, like I've been mentioning for the last week here, we're doing some special episodes going on here, and um we're talking with some amazing women that are part of an anthology that the Divas at Care is releasing in the next couple weeks here called I'm a Prince on My Soul. And I'm so beyond excited for today's guest because I'm going to be this is the very first time actually I've had the opportunity to interview her on my program, so I'm excited. If this is your very first time tuning into the Divas at Care, a huge welcome to each and every one of you. The Divas at Care is now in its 11th season. We are listened to in over 30 countries around the world, and it's because of all of our amazing listeners uh we were able to do this. So I'm I'm really excited, and so I want to welcome each and every one of you. All right, as I said, let's get started. Today is a special program, and my guest today is Lori Murphy. Welcome to the show, Lori. Thank you so much, Candace, for having me. Oh my goodness, I am beyond excited to have you, Lori. Um Lori, before we kind of dive into your story, would you tell us a little bit about yourself? Well, I am a simple country girl that has a crazy love for horses and kids, and um I have one amazing daughter, and you know, I'm just trying to do my part to to make the world a better place by spreading some kindness and and doing so with the help of some horses. And you've definitely been doing that. And for all of our amazing listeners that want to check that out, Lori's got some um really great monthly programs that she does with other hosts, so you'll want to check those shows out. All right, Lori, so why did you decide to submit your story into this specific uh anthology? Um, you know, I I think that my my story is kind of comical, but um I think it's important to to share with people that, you know, the the importance of what animals and pets can do for for people's, you know, well-being. And I really I just really think that sharing the love of animals and you know, maybe somebody that doesn't have a a pet or a companionship, it's it's amazing on what can do for you. Isn't that so true? You know, I I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for the animals that have been in my life. So tell me a little bit about your story. Well, my story, I um I was introduced to horses at a really young age. We lived on a farm and we had horses and cows and every kind of farm animal you can think of. But um horses really were my heart. And we moved from Idaho to California and from a farm to a residential neighborhood, and we had to you know, we just didn't have any other than, you know, your domestic dog or so my parents got me another horse and it built more character than anybody should probably have for me because you know, I I had to get out. I'm I'm one of nine, and my parents said, Well, if we get you a horse, we can't, you know, we we have too many other responsibilities, so you'll have to figure out a way to pay the board. And so I cleaned thirty-two stalls six days a week for sixty dollars board to keep a horse. So I learned how to work it very hard. Yeah, I learned how to wear it. And I think back at that and go, wow, sixty dollars, thirty-two stalls a day. Wow. Um, but again, I I learned so much, and every one of the the stalls I cleaned had, you know, another friend of mine in it, you know. So um being around the horses and the animals and just being um, you know, they you just talk to a deflector, you another friend, you know. So um that that got me going and kept me going into horses for until until now, of course. I did take a break there and and in my story you'll see that um what happened that kind of discouraged me a little bit, but then I had my daughter and I said, Oh, I can get back into horses if I can get her addicted to horses. Well, my daughter's a cat girl, but I'm still back into horses. So um Yeah, see, she's more of a a of a cat. A cat kid, so but I have, you know, just a huge desire to help kids with horses, you know, and horses bring great peace and of course they're not for everybody 'cause sometimes you can be intimidated by such a large animal, but my, you know, just d my life is just um my goals now is just to help. And I I call myself a helper and I was, you know, one day walking down the stables and it just hit me all of a sudden that I'm I'm here to help. You know, I was trying to figure out okay, what's my next my next path in life and it just came over and God's say, Yeah, you're supposed to be a helper. So you know what, my goal and and just my biggest desire is to help mainly children, but everybody that needs it. You know, it's it's easy to be kind. It's harder to be mean and and c and cranky. I mean we just spend a little kindness. Day goes good, you make people's days brighter and so that's m my story pretty much is linked to horses and horses bring great peace to me, which then I can pass on to others and and you know, just just help with kindness. Well, I love that. And it sounds like your story really taught you some important skills, you know, to and responsibility. Because I always said that my animals taught me responsibility. I was a city girl that ended up in the country and was overwhelmed with so many animals, you know, in my teenage years, and I said that was probably the best thing that it could have ever happened to me with what I had learned from my animals to become the person I am today with responsibility um and caring and everything else. So I can definitely see that that has probably done a lot for you also. Oh yeah, without the reciprocity growing up and and have to come up with my own board each month and and everything else that goes with owning a horse, um, there is no way I could run a ranch by myself without that experience. You know, without you know, you you learn some grit when you have to tend to them and um and just the responsibility. What was nice is the more you're around them, the more you learn about them. It wasn't just cleaning stalls, it was all of a sudden you're taking care of a cut or you're taking care of, you know, uh fences and and there's just so many things that horses get into that you have to help, you know, correct? And the responsibilities have absolutely made me able to do what I do today. Because you don't just walk into it, you know, without some experience and and succeed. You know, you have to my life my life journey was meant for horses and and helping kids. So I I truly believe that at a very young age, I was ten. And to to have that, I can't imagine a ten year old now coming over and cleaning thirty-two stalls six days a week. I wouldn't I don't do that now. No I was determined, but it was so much fun because the love of horses were you know, I was around horses all day. What what more can you ask for? Exactly. And I I see that that's how it's ex um impacted your life in such a positive way. I wanna ask you too, do you so you have horses, but do you have any other animals that you want to share with us today? Oh, I have the most amazing ginormous yellow lab. He's a hundred and twenty-three pounds, and he is the goofiest, uh goofiest, silliest the most amazing dog you ever seen. And he's a perfect watchdog, but he's also the you know, just absolutely happy all the time. Sometimes it's like annoying happy. It's like, okay, I'm cranky to me alone, but you just can't say cranky. But um, so I have my my my um yellow lab Bo dupe and and we have um we have a bunch of kitty cats outside just because we need them and love them. But um mainly mainly my dog and my horses are are uh what what we have and of course my daughter's cats. But exactly. Yeah. Gotta keep everyone. And you've done so many great things with your horses right now. Like you're our other programs that we've had you on, you know, you've talked a lot about the things that you're doing with your horses and what you're using your farm for. And I'm really excited about that because it's really changing people's lives. It's it's such a big, impactful thing. Um, your journey has been extraordinary, and I'm so excited because our listeners are gonna love uh checking out your story and the fact that it's okay, how did she start? But and then to where you are today is oh my goodness, Gloria. I don't even know, I can't even express the words that I just I'm so empowered by what you're doing. Well, thank you. You know, it's it's definitely a blessing. I I there's times that you just kind of cry about life, but you know, um when things aren't going right, broken pipes or you know, broken fences or but the joy that comes when the kids come out that all week that's all they want to do is come out and see some horses. Um it is absolutely so so rewarding that you know you can't find words for it. Um there's been a lot of struggle and a lot of things in my life that has kept leading me back to horses. And there's days I'm telling you that I will go down to the stables and just don't I just, you know, stacking hay. I'm some days you just don't feel like doing it, but you just keep plugging forward. You just keep moving on and you know, and then of course you get the we I have a a special student that her best friend just moved to Virginia and her family uh she was going through her parents were going through a uh divorce and they said that her best friend and horses were the most important thing to keep her, you know, happy in life and her m her best friend just moved to Virginia, so I am on the search to find her her very own horse. And she has no idea. Yeah, so and I told her grandma and her mom, um, by the way, I'm buying um getting Sophia a horse, so she they they just started crying and you know, and it it's not a matter of, you know, I'm just gonna do it because I can and I have arranged to keep the horse out, but you know, what that will do for her um now that her friend had to move um out of state will I uh it will change everything for her and in in a positive way. And so I'm super excited about that and and just I was that I was that young girl at one point when I I got my you know first horsefully moved that was my we my very own horse. But growing up we had multiple horses out there, but then I have multiple siblings and n none of the horses were really one individual's horse. So when we moved to California and and my parents got me the horse for Christmas, they you know, that was my that was my horse. That was my responsibility and it it's it makes a difference, it really does. I mean you love them all, but when it's your own, it's it's so incredible and I can hardly wait. I'm I'm looking for the perfect horse, um, if there's such a thing, um for her, and I'm super excited. And that's that's my goals now in life, is just you know, bringing joy to kids with horses, you know, and and just kind of making a rough time in life. Uh a rough time in life a little better. I think that's extraordinary. And animals do so many great things for children, um, and I think what you're doing is fantastic. So for any of our listeners that want to know a little bit about um your farm and what you're doing, how can our listeners get a hold of you? Well, they can go to sugarditchstables.com on my website, and it pretty much tells a story and what we do and and I'm gearing t more towards right now therapy for children with horses. Um it's a passion I've had put on my heart and so that that's what we're going to now. You know, we have the summer camps and and the private lessons and birthday parties and everything, but now it's time to really really use the horses in another positive way where where kids are, you know, kids are struggling right now and um they need to be able to be kids and you know, be outside and playing and and and learning and when you do that with a horse, it's a whole it's just an incredible you know, excitement for them. And you know, like I said, some some horses or some kids aren't um comfortable around horses because they're intimidated. But you know, we have other things at our ranch that um we're putting in a up a big playground for kids so that if the horses are not, you know, necessarily for them, they have another place to hang out and and play and and be kids. And we're we've got a garden going. So we have a lot of different things at our ranch for kids that need to just be outside and feel safe and and uh get to be kids. So we're very excited about what's coming up. Well, I think you're doing amazing and we're so excited for everything you're doing, and we're so with the Divas at Care, we love supporting you and everything that you're doing. So I am very, very excited to always have you on as a monthly guest on the Divas at Care program so that we can share with all of our listeners what you're doing. That would be great. I look forward to all the upcoming events and just everything that's going on. Oh, well, Lori, thank you so much for coming onto my program today and sharing about your story. Um, for all of you that are checking us out today, Lori's story is called For the Children. And it's going to be in our newest anthology, Animal Prints on My Soul. So make sure that you check that out. It's going to be available here in the next couple of weeks. So, Lori, thank you so much for being on the program and I hope you have a great day. Thanks, Candice, for having me and you as well. Thank you. And a huge shout out to all of our listeners. Make sure that you check out all the other special episodes on the Divas at Care. There's a variety of our hosts that are going to be interviewing the authors in this book, and you don't want to miss those. Those stories are absolutely fantastic. We're so excited. Um, proceeds of these books will be going to different animal charities. Again, thank you to my amazing guest Lori.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

Thank you to all of our listeners, and please do something kind today. Until next time, everyone.