Find the Joy

Fast forward to the pasture. Within the first 20 minutes of my check the pregnant/calving cows, I found a calf whose mom was nowhere in sight. I didn’t move the calf because sometimes cows hide their calves and have them stay hidden until they can come back to get them. I went about my check and when I returned to the calf, the mother was there. That was the good news. The bad news was that it didn’t look like the calf had nursed. In fact, that was really bad news.  

 

Calves are born with absolutely no immunity whatsoever. They need colostrum from their mothers to protect them from disease and help develop their own immunity. I found Tom, and he agreed that the calf probably hadn’t nursed. We decided to take them to the house where we have a barn and are better equipped to help in situations such as these. We locked the pair up in the corral, I headed back to the house to get the pickup and trailer, and Tom stayed to prepare for the next pasture move. 

 

When I got back to the pasture, Tom wasn’t finished with what he was doing. So, I got everything set up and attempted to load the cow in the trailer. And I did – twice. However, she was a little upset and confused (I would be too if my udder was that swollen and sore and my calf wouldn’t nurse), and the first time she went in and right back out. The second time she went in and stood there, but as I was trying to get the gate shut I pinched my finger in the spring loaded latch. Ouch! And while I was trying to keep my composure, she once again exited the trailer. Tom got there shortly after the finger-pinching attempt, and we finally got the cow and her calf loaded. 

 

On my way back to the barn, I was grumpily reflecting on my morning. I kept thinking, “It’s all attitude. And right now, I need a better one.”  To help improve my attitude, I made myself think of some of things I enjoy about this time of year. At first, the only thing I could come up with was the sheer cuteness of all of the calves, but as the day went on I realized there is so much more that I enjoy. 

The long days of calving season see us leaving the house in the morning and not returning until supper time or later. Each day we pack plenty of snacks and a lunch. When we come to a good stopping point sometime around noon, we take a break and have a picnic in the pasture. Our picnics in the pasture, are a welcome break on a stressful day. During our picnics, the kids get to cut loose, run around, explore, play in the dirt, and make us laugh.  It makes me happy to see them so happy!

 

Although we ran into a few setbacks trying to get the calf to nurse, Tom never gave up. He just kept coming up with new ideas and different things to try. Not every story ends happily, and his determination to save the hard cases inspires me. He might get discouraged or disheartened once in a while, but he never gives up.  It is just not in his nature to back down. And I so much admire that about him. 

 

Having over eight-hundred head of calving cows to care for can be stressful and exhausting. It is really easy to get discouraged and grouchy when things don’t go our way.  And I have found that the days that I need the joy the most are the days it is the hardest to find. But, it is there. So, I redirect my thoughts. I make myself think about all of the good and joyful things that I have to be thankful for. And no matter how seemingly small or minor those things are, when I do this, my attitude improves and my day instantly gets better.

 

Yesterday… Yesterday was definitely a “Monday”. I made myself find the joy. And while we did encounter a few more obstacles, I was able to face them head on with a positive attitude!