Like a wave swelling into fullness

Last fall my friend, Lane, was visiting from Berkeley and I was excited for her to meet Jalila who I had been calling Jillie in conversations. When I said the name Jalila, it piqued Lane’s interest. She said, “That’s her name? Jalila? That’s a Sufi name.” It didn’t surprise me. I know Archie often pins Arabic names on foals at Drinkers of the Wind Arabians, but Lane said the name Jalila carried some special meanings that I would find particularly interesting.
In her Sufi guide about the 99 Names of Allah, Al-Jalil is #44:

• Al-Jalil (the -a ending is feminine) refers to the deep ocean of resources in one that builds up internal power. A reservoir of power in repose.
• Strength pooled until it is the right time to act, so that when we express it, it really makes a difference. Like a wave swelling into fullness.
• Working inwardly while showing little outwardly. The power need not act outwardly because it radiates without speaking or acting.
• Developing inner qualities such as certainty, confidence, strength, devotion.

As I reviewed the posts since I began this blog to document Jalila’s improvement, I was surprised at what a project getting this horse put together has been. I’m used to life with horses being one thing after another and I guess I just took it all in stride. Jalila is a force to be reckoned with in my life and I feel I can now safely say that she has emerged on the healthy, sane, and functional side of things. She, like all horses, will require specialized maintenance, I’ll share a few specific concerns shortly, but I can walk out to the pen on any given day with a plan to teach and learn with her and be able to do just that.
Her response to a year and a half of rehab efforts is a gift to me. I have worked with so many horses that have either not made a full recovery or stalled out into retirement, and several have had to be put down when we ran out of options. Jalila has shown me that there is no such thing as failure as long as you are doing the best you can with the knowledge you have, and made me more grateful than ever to every horse who taught me every little thing that made it possible for me to help this one swell like a wave into fullness.

On the left, Jalila in May 6, 2016.
On the right, December 9, 2017. This is also WHAT I SAW in May of 2016.
Fortunately, I was a visionary and not delusional!