A mini horse making a big difference

If you've watched the story, "Therapy horse brightens day with disposition", you can see why the miniature horse named Sunny is such a valuable therapy tool for adults and children. I've heard of therapy animals before, and I even have a friend who has a certified therapy dog, but I didn't realize what a wonderful difference visiting with a gentle animal makes in people's lives until I saw Sunny at the adult day center. And after talking to some of the people who visited with Sunny, I understood more clearly the impact a therapy animal can make.

Moline Smith is a regular visitor to Easter Seals, an adult day center in Oklahoma City. She's 91 years old and she lives with her son's family. She broke her hip when she was 90. She told me that seeing Sunny makes her day more interesting. And very simply, it's something to think about.

Okay, I'm a busy woman. I go to work everyday and I'm always learning something new on a story. I pack my brain full of information that I need to tell our News9 viewers at noon and 4:00, and then I go home and work on crossing off dozens of tasks on my to-do list. I play on a few sports teams in the evenings and I try to squeeze in cooking dinner. Then I wake up the next day and do the same thing. I feel like I never finish what I set out to do, and I don't even have kids yet!

What I'm trying to say is ... many times I go on with life without stopping to think about the simple things that bring us all joy. And I didn't realize that a miniature horse making someone simply smile, is so important.

I'm thankful that I get the chance every week to tell the story of a group, a person, or in this case a miniature horse named Sunny, making a difference in our world. It's certainly a treat to be telling positive stories on a regular basis, here at News 9.

Blessings,

Melissa