Cameo’s Cauldron STONE SOUP

… in which Cameo Miller stirs her thoughts and ideas to see what rises to the top.

STONE SOUP

By Cameo Miller Illustration by Bethany Caskey

I’d like to tell you a story. It’s about an old woman who walked into a poor village one cold winter day. She stopped at a house near the center of the village, knocked on the door, and asked if they had any tiny bit of food to give her. “I’m sorry” said the housewife. “We do not even have enough to feed ourselves because of all the troubles over this cold time.” “I understand” replied the old woman. “But perhaps I could share a story with you and things might improve for all of us.” “You are welcome to come in, warm yourself by the fire and share your story” said the housewife, “but I do not see how that will help.” “You will see” replied the old woman. She entered the house, directed the housewife to put her biggest cauldron over the hearth fire, asked the children to bring buckets of water to fill it up, and to bring any found wood to build up the fire. She also then went outside and picked up a large, hand-sized rock which she carefully scrubbed clean and put into the bottom of the pot.

“What are you doing” inquired the housewife. “Making stone soup” replied the old woman. “You told me you do not have enough food to share, or even enough for your family. I may be able to help us all.” She asked the children, who had all returned with the water and the wood to invite the neighbors in to hear the story too. As they arrived, the old woman showed them the huge pot of water with the stone in the bottom, and invited them to hear her tell them a story. Soon the house was full of cold, hungry people huddled near the hearth, or sitting on the floor, or leaning against a wall. As the old woman began her story, the housewife, feeling pressed to show she was not destitute, found a couple of shriveled potatoes that she cut into little pieces and put into the cauldron.

To be told correctly, this story is long, but the point is that, as the old woman continues to tell her tale, other people remember a couple of carrots or an onion still in the ground, some people contribute a handful of rice or barley or beans, or another potato, or some wizened peas. The old woman nods and smiles at each person as they contribute their gift to her story telling. By the time she has finished her long tale, there is a huge cauldron of soup that is enough to feed them all and the old woman too.

The moral of the story is, of course, that each of us may not have enough or be enough by ourselves to survive truly hard times. But if we all come together, and each contribute a little bit, it will add up and will be more than enough. This is what needs to happen now, during our current hard times. Whether it is covid, climate change, the many stresses of the past year, or just the cold of winter (here in the northern hemisphere—or the heat of summer in the southern one), so many people feel helpless and hopeless because we feel so small against such great misfortune. And we are. But if we all come together, and each add our little bit, great change can occur.

We can add our bit to “the soup” in two venues—our personal “bubble” and our

“Let there be an opening into the quiet that lies beneath the chaos, where you find the peace you did not think possible and see what shimmers within the storm. – John O’Donohue

profession. With those closest to us, we need to remember to give hugs and remind them that we can get through this together. Call friends on the phone or FaceTime video chats to let them know the same. Air hugs and kisses may not be the same as the close contact of the real thing, but the implied connection will be felt just the same. And it is adding your bit to the comfort, unity, and caring among those closest to you. In our profession, we are very much needed to play a critical role. As I wrote in previous articles, things will not

possibly the lessee, from liability as the applicable state law allows.

Liability waivers/releases are complicated just go back to normal—that can’t hapdocuments that require special attention. pen because major, world-wide, prolonged Over the years, my books and articles have events leave lasting effects for months or explained how these documents work and years. Effects that may not even be known what makes them fail. Because states differ or recognized for quite a while. Businesses of all sizes all over are having to adjust their practices. We must do the same. These will probably be major changes, not little tweaks. But if we all work together, on requirements for these documents, avoid “one size fits all” forms. Contracts that protect lessors can also include carefully worded indemnification each adding in our bit of knowledge, our clauses (where allowed by law) that would ideas, our support, or whatever tiny bit we provide, with proper language in which have to offer, we can create something that the lessee agrees to protect the lessor and can support all of us in this profession. possibly others, hold them harmless, and pay legal expenses and costs if the lessor is Everyone is getting very burned out from sued because of injuries or damages the lesall the stresses over this past year. And it’s see caused. Indemnification clauses can be going to take patience and a lot of hard complex; discuss them with your attorney. work to fix all the many things that have Contracts become so very broken or to create something entirely new from what has failed. But this is something horse people are esContracts for “half -lease” arrangements can include, at a minimum: pecially good at. We do it all the time with • When the arrangement begins and ends (and methods of terminating it) • Uses of the horse and restrictions • Payment of routine and non-routine expenses • Liability waiver/release and indemnification language (where allowed by law) • Equine Activity Liability Act language (depending on state law) With careful planning and properly drafted contracts, parties to “half-lease”/share boarding arrangements, and the horse, could be happy for a long time. This article does not constitute legal advice. When questions arise based on specific situations, direct them to a knowledgeable attorney.

About the Author: Julie Fershtman, one of the nation’s most experienced Equine Law practitioners, is a Shareholder with Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC, in Michigan. She has successfully litigated equine cases in 18 jurisdictions nationwide and has tried equine cases in 4 states. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and received the American Bar Association (ABA) “Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award.” Her speaking engagements span 29 states. Her new 372-page book, Equine Law & Horse Sense, has just been published by the ABA and is available for purchase! For more information, please visit www.equinelaw.net. ➢ Cameo’s Cauldron cont’d from page 30 into your curriculum. Trail rides are one way you can do this as well as being great learnstudents and horses in training. We use an ing experiences, but there are many others abundance of patience and the ability to try activities too. Are there people in your area a multitude of different tactics with nearly that do yoga or meditation classes, who are everything we do. We are uniquely qualivery knowledgeable herbalists or gardeners? fied to provide the knowledge and skills of how to do this that others will need as they provide the specifics needed to solve each problem. These skills can help those outside of our profession as well as within You might offer them a natural space to hold some sessions. Since you and your people are already present, there can be an easy flow into something that may help all. Perhaps others it. And we need to utilize these skills for in the area will join these classes, and become ourselves as we get burned out over trying interested in lessons. to survive such times as these. If you find It shouldn’t take a crisis for us to realize parts of your life outside of our profession what’s important, but it usually does. Let’s overwhelming you, practice patience and not ignore or forget what we have suffered try many different tactics until you find to learn. Let’s use it to improve our lives, what you need to stay safe, sane and able the lives of those around us, and to be betto continue on until this is finally over and ter people. We have all been in this together, gone. and, if we continue to work together, we will all be fine when it’s well and truly over. So now this old woman has told you her tale. I encourage each of you to add your bit About the author: Cameo Miller is a Masters-level clinical psycholoto your family, your community, the place gist and a Level IV ARIA Certified Instructor based in Michigan. She is a member of the ARIA Evaluation Panel and National Riding Instructors Convention Staff. you worship, or to any place you feel drawn to give a little bit to, and especially to our profession. Don’t worry that it is so little, that it is not enough, because someone else will see your gift and be inspired to do their little bit too. Each little act of kindness, each tiny bit of ‘pay it forward’, each show of gratitude or consideration, each idea for change will start to add up into something much more than we could do by ourselves, and eventually we will all have enough to sustain us through these difficult times.

About the author: Cameo Miller is a Masters-level clinical psychologist and a Level IV ARIA Certified Instructor based in Michigan. She is a member of the ARIA Evaluation Panel and an ARIA National Test Center Administrator.

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