Arizona farm gives refuge from pain for people and animals alike HEAD TOPICS

Arizona farm gives refuge from pain for people and animals alike

10/21/2022 7:04:00 AM

Arizona farm gives refuge from pain for people and animals alike

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Arizona farm gives refuge from pain for people and animals alike An Arizona farm is drawing mourning parents from around the globe seeking solace after the loss of a child. Just beyond, in the fields of this sanctuary for the grieving, is a sheep whose babies were snatched by coyotes, a goat saved from slaughter and a horse that was badly mistreated carrying loads at the Grand Canyon.The world turns away from stories like theirs because it's too hard to imagine burying a child. So mourning people from around the globe journey to this patch of farmland just outside the red rocks of Sedona. ***"Every cell in my body aches," she wrote in her journal a few months after the death in 1994."I won't smile as often as my old self. Smiling hurts now. Most everything hurts some days, even breathing."So, she set out on twin paths for answers: enrolling in college for the first time, focusing her studies on grief, and starting a support group and foundation for others like her. Read more:
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The Avs’ “reverse retro” sweater’s design elements are meant to pay homage to the Colorado state flag and the Rocky Mountains, as well as hockey teams of decades past. Read more >> Arizona farm gives refuge from pain, for man and beast alikeThe leader has the name of her dead baby spelled out in beads on her left wrist, and standing before her is a mother so grief-choked by her young son’s death that she flips on her side. New Orleans Saints vs. Arizona Cardinals NFL Week 7 live game updates, analysis, scoreFollow our updates as the Arizona Cardinals host the New Orleans Saints at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Thursday Night Football. Small plane ran into bad weather before crashing in northwestern Arizona: NTSBA small plane ran into heavy rain and gusty winds before it crashed in a remote area of northwestern Arizona last month, killing both people aboard, federal investigators said. Flight attendants from overseas help walk MCSO animals while in PhoenixIn Arizona, an unusual friendship has formed between rescue dogs and people from out of town, and it's all thanks to a flight attendant from overseas. Farmer-herder clashes in Nigeria leave more than a dozen deadCattle herders storm local farming settlement in central Benue State, leaving at least 18 people dead, officials say. Matt Sedensky    Associated Press CORNVILLE — The leader has the name of her dead baby spelled out in beads on her left wrist, and standing before her is a mother so grief-choked by her young son's death that she flips on her side at one point in this creekside yoga class and sobs.CORNVILLE, Ariz.The Arizona Cardinals brought in Rodrigo Blankenship this week as their kicker after cutting Matt Ammendola and with Matt Prater still hurt.crashed in a remote area of northwestern Arizona last month, killing both people aboard, federal investigators said Thursday. In the next row, a woman whose daughter died by suicide goes through the poses next to a man with a tattoo of three little ducks, one for each of the children who was murdered. Just beyond, in the fields of this sanctuary for the grieving, is a sheep whose babies were snatched by coyotes, a goat saved from slaughter and a horse that was badly mistreated carrying loads at the Grand Canyon. In the next row, a woman whose daughter died by suicide goes through the poses next to a man with a tattoo of three little ducks, one for each of the children who was murdered. Soon, the morning fog will lift and the chorus of cicadas will end the quiet. Arizona's scoring drive went six plays and for 43 yards and took 1:59 off the clock. But for a moment, all is still, as if nature has paused to acknowledge this gathering of worldly suffering. Soon, the morning fog will lift and the chorus of cicadas will end the quiet. "There's a comfort in knowing," says Suzy Elghanayan, a mother whose young son died earlier this year of a seizure,"that we're all in the same place that we never wanted to be. Investigators said the plane made a 270-degree left turn, followed by a steep descending right turn before the flight track data ended. " The world turns away from stories like theirs because it's too hard to imagine burying a child. “There’s a comfort in knowing,” says Suzy Elghanayan, a mother whose young son died earlier this year of a seizure, “that we’re all in the same place that we never wanted to be. Score: Saints 7, Cardinals 3 (10:54 left in first quarter) Rodrigo Blankenship on for the 50 yard FG, it's good. So mourning people from around the globe journey to this patch of farmland just outside the red rocks of Sedona. There is no talk at Selah Carefarm of ending the pain of loss, just of building the emotional muscle to handle it. So mourning people from around the globe journey to this patch of farmland just outside the red rocks of Sedona. Here, the names of the dead can be spoken and the agony of loss can be shown. — José M. No one turns away. Here, the names of the dead can be spoken and the agony of loss can be shown. Both victims are from Wichita Falls, Texas. *** Joanne Cacciatore was a mother of three in a customer service job when her baby died during delivery. Long after she closed the lid to the tiny pink casket, the grief consumed her. ___ Joanne Cacciatore was a mother of three in a customer service job when her baby died during delivery.  Andy Dalton connected with Rasid Shaheed on a 53-yard pass to give the Saints a 7-0 lead just 2:07 into the game. She'd sob for hours and withered to 90 pounds. She didn't want to live. She’d sob for hours and withered to 90 lbs. All she thought about was death. Arizona had been outscored in the first quarter heading into this game this season, 41-3. "Every cell in my body aches," she wrote in her journal a few months after the death in 1994. All she thought about was death."I won't smile as often as my old self. Smiling hurts now. “I won’t smile as often as my old self. And the Cardinals, who have trouble scoring in the first half (and the 2nd) are down 7-0 early. Most everything hurts some days, even breathing." Cacciatore became consumed with understanding the abyss of heartache she inhabited. Most everything hurts some days, even breathing. But counseling and bereavement groups were as disappointing as the body of research Cacciatore found on traumatic loss. Running backs James Conner and Darrel Williams are also out, as is CB Trayvon Mullen, C Rodney Hudson, LB Dennis Gardeck and OL Lecitus Smith. So, she set out on twin paths for answers: enrolling in college for the first time, focusing her studies on grief, and starting a support group and foundation for others like her. But counseling and bereavement groups were as disappointing as the body of research Cacciatore found on traumatic loss. Today, all of these years after the death that set her on this journey, those academic and therapeutic pursuits have converged on the vegan farm, which opened five years ago. As plans for Selah took shape, Cacciatore was reminded of the two dogs who stayed by her side even when the depths of her sorrow were too much for many friends. Today, all these years after the death that set her on this journey, those academic and therapeutic pursuits have converged on the vegan farm, which opened five years ago. So the farm is home to dozens of animals, many rescued from abuse and neglect, that are central to many visitors' experience here. While most who come to Selah take part in counseling sessions, Cacciatore believes visitors' experiences with the animals can be just as transformative. So the farm is home to dozens of animals, many rescued from abuse and neglect, that are central to many visitors’ experience here. Across the farm, stories repeat of someone washed over by a wave of grief only to find an animal seeming to offer comfort — a donkey nestling its face in a crying woman's shoulder or a horse pressing its head against a grieving heart. "There's a resonance," Cacciatore says. Across the farm, stories repeat of someone washed over by a wave of grief only to find an animal seem to offer comfort – a donkey nestling its face in a crying woman’s shoulder or a horse pressing its head against a grieving heart."There's a symbiosis," The 10-acre swath of valley feels something like a bohemian enclave crossed with a kibbutz. In the day, the sprawling expanse is baked in sun, all the way back to the creek at the farm's border, where a family of otters comes to play. “There’s a symbiosis,” The 10-acre swath of valley feels something like a bohemian enclave crossed with a kibbutz. At night, under star-flecked skies of indigo, paths are lit by lanterns and strings of bulbs glow, and all is quiet but the gentle flow of spring water snaking through irrigation ditches. It is an oasis, but a constantly changing one, reinvented by each new visitor leaving their imprint. At night, under star-flecked skies of indigo, paths are lit by lanterns and strings of bulbs glow, and all is quiet but the gentle flow of spring water snaking through irrigation ditches. On one tree, the grieving tie strips of fabric that rain like multicolored tickertape, remnants of their loved one's favorite shirts and socks and pillowcases. Nearby, little medallions stamped with the names of the dead twinkle in the breeze. On one tree, the grieving tie strips of fabric that rain like multicolored tickertape, remnants of their loved one’s favorite shirts and socks and pillowcases. And in a grotto beneath an ash tree, the brokenhearted have clipped prayer cards to the branches, left objects including a baseball and a toy truck, and painted dozens of stones memorializing someone gone too soon. For Andy,"My Twin Forever. And in a grotto beneath an ash tree, the brokenhearted have clipped prayer cards to the branches, left objects including a baseball and a toy truck, and painted dozens of stones memorializing someone gone too soon." For Monica,"Loved Forever." For Jade,"Forever One Day Old.” For Monica, “Loved Forever." Memories of the dead are everywhere. The farm's guest house was made possible by donors, just like everything else here, and names of their lost ones are on everything from benches to butterfly gardens.” Memories of the dead are everywhere. *** After a few days here, many find the stories of their beloved have become so stitched into the farm's fabric it makes hallowed ground of earth on which the dead never set foot. For Liz Castleman, it is a place she has come to feel her son Charlie's presence even more than home. ___ After a few days here, many find the stories of their beloved have become so stitched into the farm’s fabric it makes hallowed ground of earth on which the dead never set foot. A rock with a dinosaur painted on it honors him and a wooden bird soars with his name. Strawberries at the farm have even been forever rebranded as Charlieberries in recognition of his favorite fruit. A rock with a dinosaur painted on it honors him and a wooden bird soars with his name. Few in Castleman's life can bear to hear about her son anymore, three years after he died before even reaching his third birthday. When she first came to the farm, part of her wondered if Cacciatore might somehow have the power to bring Charlie back. Few in Castleman’s life can bear to hear about her son anymore, three years after he died before even reaching his third birthday. In a way, she did. She's returned five more times because here, people relish hearing of the whip-smart boy who made friends wherever he went, who'd do anything to earn a laugh, who was so outgoing in class a teacher dubbed him"Mayor of Babytown. In a way, she did." "All of the old safe spaces are gone. The farm, it really is the one safe space," says 46-year-old Castleman, whose son died while under anesthesia during an MRI, likely due to an underlying genetic disorder.” “All of the old safe spaces are gone. "There's something, I don't know if it's magical, but you know that anything you say is OK and anything you feel is OK. It's just a complete bubble from the rest of the world. “There’s something, I don’t know if it’s magical, but you know that anything you say is OK and anything you feel is OK." Many who come here have been frustrated by communities and counselors who tell them to move on from their loss. They've been pushed to be medicated or plied with platitudes that hurt more than help.” Many who come here have been frustrated by communities and counselors who tell them to move on from their loss. Friends tell a grieving mom that God needed an angel or ask a brokenhearted spouse why he's still wearing his wedding ring. Again and again, they're told to forget and move on. Friends tell a grieving mom that God needed an angel or ask a brokenhearted spouse why he’s still wearing his wedding ring. Here, though, visitors learn the void will be with them, some way or another, forever. "I'm picturing my life with my grief always with me and how I'm going to live life with that grief," says 58-year-old Elghanayan, struggling to imagine her years unfolding without her 20-year-old son Luca, the compassionate, rock-climbing, surfing, piano-playing aspiring scientist. Here, though, visitors learn the void will be with them, some way or another, forever."I have to figure out how to get up and breathe every day and take one step every day and pray my years go by swiftly." If it seems counterintuitive that coming to a place where every story is sad could actually uplift, Selah's adherents point to their own experiences on the farm and the inching progress they've made. “I have to figure out how to get up and breathe every day and take one step every day and pray my years go by swiftly. Erik Denton, a 35-year-old repeat visitor to Selah, is certain he can't ever get over the deaths of his three children last year, but he's functioning again. He does the dishes and makes his bed. Erik Denton, a 35-year-old repeat visitor to Selah, is certain he can’t ever get over the deaths of his three children last year, but he’s functioning again. He doesn't hole up alone for days at a time. He's again able to talk about the children he loves: 3-year-old Joanna, the firecracker who climbed trees and helped friends; 2-year-old Terry, the mischief maker who seemed to think no one was watching; and 6-month-old Sierra, the silly girl who just had begun to ooh and aah. He doesn’t hole up alone for days at a time. Denton's ex-girlfriend, the children's mother, has been charged in their drownings in a bathtub and sometimes repeating the story or hearing another mourner's tragedy becomes too much for him. But mostly, Denton feels as if he can connect with people here more than anywhere else. Denton’s ex-girlfriend, the children’s mother, has been charged in their drownings in a bathtub and sometimes repeating the story or hearing another mourner’s tragedy becomes too much for him. "Even though we're surrounded by so much pain, we're together," he says. *** A sense of solidarity is inescapable at Selah. “Even though we’re surrounded by so much pain, we’re together,” he says. Guests eagerly trade stories of their lost loved ones. And when someone is hurting, human or animal, they can count on others being by their side. Guests eagerly trade stories of their lost loved ones. This day, Cacciatore is shaken because Shirin, a chocolate brown sheep with a white stripe across her belly, has been growing sicker and can't be coaxed to eat, not even her favorite cookies. Shirin was rescued after her two babies were taken by coyotes. This day, Cacciatore is shaken because Shirin, a chocolate brown sheep with a white stripe across her belly, has been growing sicker and can’t be coaxed to eat, not even her favorite cookies. Her udders were full for lambs no longer around to feed. She remained so shaken by it all that no one could get close to her for weeks. Her udders were full for lambs no longer around to feed. As Cacciatore awaits the veterinarian, she and a frequent farm guest, 57-year-old Jill Loforte Carroll, dote on the sheep. Cacciatore tries to coax Shirin to eat some leaves and Loforte Carroll cues a recording of"La Vie en Rose" sung by her daughter Sierra before the quietly observant, shyly funny 21-year-old died by suicide seven years ago. As Cacciatore awaits the veterinarian, she and a frequent farm guest, 57-year-old Jill Loforte Carroll, dote on the sheep. For a moment, it's just three mournful moms sharing a patch of field. When the vet arrives, their fears are confirmed, and as injections to euthanize are given, Cacciatore massages the sheep, repeatedly cooing reassuring words as her tears fall to the dirt below. For a moment, it’s just three mournful moms sharing a patch of field. "It's OK, baby girl, it's OK," she says."You're the prettiest girl. “It’s OK, baby girl, it’s OK,” she says. " By the time the vet looks up with a knowing nod, seven people crouch around Shirin, splayed across the field in such anguished drama it seems fit for a Renaissance painting. On a farm shaped by death, another has arrived, but those who gathered infused it with as much beauty and comfort as they could.” By the time the vet looks up with a knowing nod, seven people crouch around Shirin, splayed across the field in such anguished drama it seems fit for a Renaissance painting. "It's not our children," Cacciatore says before burying Shirin beneath a hulking persimmon tree,"but it's still hard." This is Cacciatore's life now, one she never could have imagined before her own tragedy. “It’s not our children,” Cacciatore says before burying Shirin beneath a hulking persimmon tree, “but it’s still hard. She has a Ph. D. She has a Ph. and a research professorship at Arizona State University. A book on loss,"Bearing the Unbearable," was well received. and a research professorship at Arizona State University. A fiercely loyal following has found solace in her work and her counseling. "I had a little girl who was born and who died, and it changed the trajectory of my life," she says. A fiercely loyal following has found solace in her work and her counseling. "But I'd give it back in a minute just to have her back." . “But I’d give it back in a minute just to have her back.