Fall In Love

            When I was a little girl, I spent many hours with my grandmother. Both my parents were working and I was the only child at the time. I did everything with my Grandma Annabell. We were like salt and pepper, peanut butter and jelly, or frybread with stew. We would herd sheep for hours and make our own roads in her sturdy 86’ Jimmy. The first time I fell in love, it was with my grandmother.

            Grandma Anna and I would follow after Cheii ( my grandfather) as he rode his horse four miles behind a huge mountain. He would look for the cows that leisurely wandered off from the herd. It took him two hours to round the bovines back to the cow corral. I was five at the time of this excursion. My grandma and I met him back there. I ran from the Jimmy into the corral to give my Cheii hugs, but soon to find myself face to face with a momma heifer.  I was shaking in my fake leather boots as she stared me down. Behind me was her baby and I knew she was going to go through me to get to her calf. I still remember the crazy look in her eyes has she aimed her horns for my little body. I closed my eyes, and all of a sudden, I felt limp.

            In the brink of time my Cheii scooped me up with his tan, muscular arms. When I opened my eyes, it felt like I was flying. My long braid was flapping in the wind and my eyes were tearing. When my Cheii pulled his steed to a halt, I could hear my grandmother yelling, “Dooajiniida!” (You don’t do that!) But all I could look at was this animal I was sitting on top of. I have seen a horse before, but I have never ridden one. I looked at my Cheii, in his Peabody Mining hat, and said, “I was just trying to give you hugs.” His throaty laugh echoed onto the plain has he tried to drop me off into the dust.

“Wait Cheii! I want to ride with you! Let me try! Please!” I pleaded.                                  

He looks at Grandma. She is staring him down while shaking her head.

“Okay Sweetie.” He said with a grin.

            From then on, I grew up in a saddle. I fell in love with riding horses. During the summers, I rode horses from morning to dusk with my Grandfather. He teaches me all the plants and animals names in Navajo. My horse, Buck, have scaled every hill and mountain around my home. He is my best friend.

            My lesson that I believe true about life is never stop falling in love with something. Always try new things. If it does not work out, than let it go, but if it is meant to be it will stay with you forever. 

My Sweetie: Cheii

Left to Right: Jessica, my little sister, Me, and Jaken, my little brother.

He takes riding horses seriously! We taught him young.