Love, Loss, and the Power of Kindness
Life Lessons from the Farm
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Hello, Friend,
This has been a strange summer, on multiple fronts. There’s the big picture chaos we’re all navigating, which is not bringing comfort or joy or anything good at all. On the local front, we’ve had so much rain we’ve become a temporary rain forest. My hair has revolted and I’m this close to cropping it and letting it go grey. The upside of all of this rain is the garden beds are resplendent. Our perennials are buzzing with pollinators. The tomatoes are taking off and the corn has grown tall enough to turn the field in front of the apartment from dull brown to brilliant green.
Early this spring the pastures were dotted with a flock of sheep that had been here for several years. A new crop of adorable lambs arrived in late winter and their antics were an endless source of amusement. There were also two new baby horses bringing the total horse count to 13. Add the two cows to the mix and the fields were teeming with animals. The concurrent overgrazing meant the grasses were not thriving.
I wrote about the horrible day that Cowbert Sr. was taken to the butcher. Eventually, his forlorn bestie Cowbert Jr. threw his lot in with the sheep, and began bonding with the ram. Rams are real assholes, but these two seemed to be having fun pushing each other around and it gave the rest of the sheep a break. Cowbert Jr. and Rambert were an unlikely pair.
There’s a lot of heartbreak living on a working farm. Since I’m not in charge here I don’t get much say. It was a shock to Cowbert Jr. (and to me) when he lost his new BFF Rambert after the entire flock of sheep was rounded up and sent to auction.
Well, not the entire flock. One lamb stayed. I named her Lambert. She was saved by the complexity of her coat. Just like that, she lost everyone that mattered to her. She spent the next week racing frantically around the farm screaming for her friends. It was heart wrenching. She was having none of my efforts to console her and considering what humans had just done to her, I fully understood. Having no other options, she formed an alliance with fellow farm animal refugee Cowbert Jr. now Cowbert. The horses are boarding at greener pastures for the summer so the fields can recover, so it’s just the two of them here now.
It took patience on my part, which is not one of my strong suits, but Lambert has finally decided if Cowbert likes me I can’t be all bad. She lets me feed her treats and give her soft pats. She is the most gentle, loving little creature. How lucky am I to have such sweet friends? The two of them wait for me by the back of the barn in the early morning. I check in on them throughout the day from my “Gladys Kravitz of the Farm” window. Sometimes they escape if a fence gets left open or the barn gate isn’t secured. When this happens, I have to lure them back with cookies. Yesterday Cowbert somehow managed to lock himself in a running shed. After not seeing him for several hours I decided to investigate and found him stuck, miserable, hot, and thirsty. I’m projecting here, but he also seemed a more than a little miffed.
Sheesh, Lady. What took you so long?
He went straight to grazing without so much as a thank you!
Someone really needs to teach that cow some manners.
Life can be cruel. Loss is inevitable. Grief is a process that never really ends, but love abides and we find our way back to the light. It costs us nothing to offer, yet it gives us everything in return. In this moment of unparalleled cruelty, we need kindness more than ever. It is going to be up to us to take care of each other, to protect each other, and to love each other. There is no greater calling in life. It is, I believe, why we are here.
“If human beings can be trained for cruelty and greed and a belief in power which comes through hate and fear and force, certainly we can train equally well for greatness and mercy and the power of love which comes because of the strength of the good qualities to be found in the soul of every human being.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
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Glad you have Cowbert and Lambert to visit with and share love. My three sisters were raised to love everyone no matter what and to accept all humans and animals. I raised my daughter the same way. People can be taught to love and accept and respect all human and animal life. Love you 😍 💋 💗 💓
Thank you for this though I was once again deeply saddened by yet another loss at your farm.