Friends for Life...and it all started at HEEFS
/We like to think that HEEFS is not just a place…it’s a community, so when we got this beautiful note sent to us, we just knew that we had to share it with everyone. Every day we are humbled by the emails we receive telling us how HEEFS has changed your life and about the friendships and, yes…even relationships, that have come about as a result of meeting through our shared love of compassion and kindness for farmed animals everywhere. A special thank you to HEEFS supporter, Nathalie, for sharing this amazing story with us.
Friends for life
By HEEFS Supporter, Nathalie
Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary (HEEFS) is a place of kindness, love and magic. It’s where the residents live in peace and harmony, many of them forming life long bonds with each other. But HEEFS is also a place where human friendships are created and become integral parts of the lives of those it brings together.
A group of HEEFS supporters from across North America all met because of a shared love of the Sanctuary. It was at the ThanksLiving 2016 volunteer workday when Kim, from Texas, and I (Nathalie from Ontario), working on ‘poop patrol’ together, quickly bonded over our respective German Shepherds. We vowed to keep in touch and, unlike what usually happens…we did!
Fast forward one year and we both found ourselves at HEEFS for ThanksLiving 2017. While at this event, we met and chatted with Lesley from Ontario and Janice from Maryland. It didn’t take long for the four of us to decide that going on the Esther Cruise together would be the perfect vacation. On the cruise our little foursome grew again! This time it was Amy from Florida and Annie from Iowa. The now six of us became fast friends and before we departed the ship, arrangements were made to meet up at HEEFS for ThanksLiving 2018 -a full 8 months away! Although Amy ended up not being able to make it to ThanksLiving 2018, the rest of us rented a large house and enjoyed an incredible weekend together. Now, of course, this had to become an annual event.
In late 2018, Janice from Maryland was at a sanctuary near her home and met Laura, also from Maryland. It just happened that Janice was wearing a HEEFS t-shirt at the time and that’s all it took for the two to immediately connect. Together, they visited HEEFS in 2019 and then Laura joined “the gang” for ThanksLiving 2019. Amy was also able to make it this time so our group became seven and future plans were being made.
What happened next is “classic HEEFS”! After seeing my post online about ThanksLiving, Joyce from Texas randomly messaged me asking what this event was all about. And by the magic of HEEFS, our group of seven became eight. Joyce joined us for ThanksLiving 2019 – sharing a house with us, even though we had never met in person!
This little group of ours made plans to get together again at HEEFS, and at other sanctuaries around North America, however the recent pandemic put those plans on hold. But as soon as it’s safe to travel, we will meet up again. Until then, we stay close through social media and through video chats that usually include a lot of wine, and even more laughs! We think of our group as a family sharing life’s ups and downs. From career changes to becoming a grandma (twice!), this group can count on each other for love and advice. We can’t wait to come back to HEEFS and commemorate our friendship by visiting the bench we donated that is waiting for us on the HEEFS Memorial Trail.
This random group of women, and now lifelong friends, includes a police officer, HR specialists, medical professionals, a retail manager and health and beauty professionals. We would never have met without HEEFS. And now that we have, life wouldn’t be the same without the deep friendships and everlasting bonds that have been created.
