It is my birthday today and while I do not want a lot of fanfare or fuss, I want to say that I am deeply grateful to be alive and to be on this wonderful, miraculous journey. I have gone from feeling awkward and alone as a child, to being totally lost as a young adult, to finding myself and my purpose, to starting The Gentle Barn by overcoming many obstacles and challenges, to learning and growing and evolving, to finally knowing who I am, having grace and love in my heart, and being a part of a movement towards more peace and gentleness. I love my life!

I think this is a very exciting time to be alive. There is much more awareness than ever before. While we spent so much time as a people evolving physically and then technologically, we are now being called to evolve spiritually. We are called to embrace that we are all one, all connected, all the same. Ultimately, we call into action equal rights for all beings everywhere. The young people who are coming onto this planet now seem to embrace this concept organically. We are seeing so many adults awakening. There are more and more kind foods and kinder restaurants opening. The awareness of health and environmental issues is worldwide.

Every single day I get to look into the grateful eyes of the animals we have rescued, and I get to work with them to open the hearts of our guests. Even when I feel weakened and despairing, it is those same animals whose noses I get to kiss, whose tummies I get to rub, who I get to hug, as they restore my resolve and my strength to keep working. I may have saved them, but they save me back every single day. Together we are changing the world.

I’m covered in hair and I usually smell like the barnyard. I have successfully ruined every pair of decent shoes I have ever had. I have very little down time for socializing and I seldom take vacations or days off. I work straight through lunch and usually forget to eat. My back hurts and there are days that are so busy that I don’t even get to brush my hair…. and I wouldn’t change a thing! I thank goodness every day that this is my life!

When I first became vegetarian at eleven-years-old, I did it for the animals and didn’t put much focus into my health. Now that I am forty-nine, I care very much about my health because I desperately want to live long enough to see a gentle world. I take Sun Chlorella, Goodbelly probiotics, and a protein shake every morning. I eat fresh, organic fruits and veggies throughout the day. I embrace a whole foods, plant-based diet to flood me with nutrients, make me strong, and give me energy.

I am so thankful for each and every animal who I have known and loved, and who I have saved and who has saved me. I am grateful for every child who I have had the honor to witness and connect with nature. I am grateful for every person who has come to the Gentle Barn hopeless and defeated, who has been restored by our animal angels. I am grateful for everything that I have learned and for all my teachers, no matter how they showed up or seemed to me. I am grateful for our board of directors, staff, volunteers, guests, fans, and donors, without whom I wouldn’t be able to do this work. Thank you for supporting us, for loving animals with me, and for making kinder choices so we can have more peace for all animals everywhere!

Ellie Laks
Founder, The Gentle Barn