Respecting Choices

"You guys are horrid! How could anyone dislike something so cute and innocent and-"

"Messy?"

I grin, adding on to Celeste's interjection: "Loud? Annoying?"

"How about whiny?" Lily pipes up, her relaxed form leaning up against the side of the barn, twirling the piece of hay sticking out from her mouth with her tongue.

Celeste smiles at her, nodding in agreement with the filly's inquiry. "That's a good one." I nod as well. North groans in annoyance, her tail swishing angrily behind her.

"Children are wonderful, I cannot believe anyone could think otherwise," she sighs, looking over at Lily, who give her a look of indifference, "Just what is it about children that you so despise?"

I answer her immediately, trying my hardest to remain as civil as possible. "They are loud, and all they do is whine constantly. That one girl, Kathy, wasn't it? She brings her kids to the barn and all they do is cry and whine that they can't ride."

"That's because they want to be able to do things that the bigger humans can, that's all!" North argues, and Celeste scoffs.

"Well, they can be upset without being whiny little snobs," Celeste retorts, "Besides, not only do kids whine and cry, but the beg constantly for things and then have tantrums when they don't get it. Ungrateful little-"

North shrieks, "Don't even finish that sentence Celeste!" and I cannot help but laugh, the tiny mare shaking in agitation. "Well, Lily, what about you, hm? What makes children so undesirable to you?"

"The fact that as a female, society expects me to desire them," Lily remarks nonchalantly, and North shuts her mouth as she adds, "Horse or not, we all know that as ladies, everyone expects us to want and have children. The fact that it's so ingrained in society as a whole, especially in human society is disgraceful. The world will be just fine if some females decide to not have kids period. Not to mention as I said before, children are whiny as hell."

I nod, Celeste grunting in affirmation and leaving North speechless, a sigh of resignation coming from her lips. "I assume that's a valid reason-"

"As are Pluviam's and Celeste's," Lily interrupts, the hay in her mouth falling to the ground and causing the young female to grunt in disapproval. After some time, she continues, "Your interest in children is just as valid as our disinterest. As long as you respect our decisions, we are more than happy and willing to respect yours."

I look over to North, who, dejectedly nods and apologizes to the three of us, attempting to dispel the tense debate by inviting us to the river, to which we graciously accept. Celeste and North walk ahead of Lily and I, chatting as if they weren't bickering moments before and I look over to the mare beside me, who seems to have found another piece of hay during the trek. She looks up at me, a soft smile reaching her lips and I cannot help but return it.

Being the leader of such a large herd leads to many expectations of yourself- you must be strong, vigilant, lawful and neutral. However, the greatest leaders accept their biases and in turn respect those of others, accepting each individual wholeheartedly and with a smile. The ability to stand by your own morals while at the same time respecting and accepting others' is crucial to maintaining a clam and peaceful environment, and thanks to wonderful individuals such as these three, it's easy to make that happen.