There’s something very special about the little community that surrounds Furry Friends Animal Therapy, and over recent months, our neighbour Alan has become a familiar face around the farm. ❤️
Alan has been diagnosed with dementia and, most evenings, he’ll wander down to the farm for a chat and keep me company while I get on with the evening jobs after work.
Sometimes it’s simply having a conversation, watching the animals or enjoying the peace of the countryside. But tonight, Alan had other ideas!
He decided he was going to put on a pair of gloves and help with the weeding. Once he got started, there was no stopping him. 😂🌱
He worked his way across the whole field, taking such pride in what he was doing, and by the end he was absolutely buzzing with himself. He’d done a brilliant job — but more importantly, he’d thoroughly enjoyed doing it.
It was one of those seemingly ordinary moments that actually means so much.
For someone living with dementia, familiar surroundings, gentle activity, time outdoors and opportunities to feel involved can all contribute to a sense of connection and purpose. And sometimes that doesn’t need to involve anything complicated. It can simply be putting on a pair of gardening gloves, getting stuck into a job and being able to stand back afterwards and see what you’ve achieved.
Watching how naturally Alan has become part of farm life has been incredibly lovely. There are no expectations when he comes down and nothing he has to do. He can chat, spend time with the animals, help with a job if he fancies it, or simply enjoy being here.
Tonight was a beautiful reminder of why the simplest moments can sometimes be the most meaningful. 💚
Well done, Alan — although at this rate, we might have found ourselves a new member of the Furry Friends gardening team! 😂🌱🐾
Sometimes purpose doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s a pair of gloves, a field full of weeds and the satisfaction of a job well done. ❤️
And as the evening jobs came to an end, we were treated to the most incredible sunset across the farm. 🌅❤️
Alan, the animals, a field with considerably fewer weeds, and a sky like this… sometimes it really is the simplest evenings that remind you just how special life on the farm can be.
A pretty perfect ending to a very wholesome evening. 💚🐑🌅
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