New Life, New Hope

Every time when I feel lost or trapped, nature sends me a reassuring message

“I think Grace had her baby already. The little will be hiding somewhere in the long grass”, — I said to George while driving down the hill and looking at the lonely cow grazing peacefully.

“If it is her, then surely, her belly is so much smaller” — replied George.

It was Friday, and we were on our way to town. I checked all my cows on Monday evening before leaving for the city the following morning, and I noticed two animals separated themselves from the herd. For heavily pregnant cows, this usually means they are about to give birth. I hoped everything would be going well and the little ones would come into the world without any issues. I should be home and look after them, but I had to go to work. So, I trusted Mother Nature that she would be on my side and keep my cows safe.

After my return Thursday night, I wanted to go and check on them on Friday, but first, work kept me busy, and then I had to go shopping with George. I thought I would check on them when I got back. But did life ever go to plan? When we got back, it was already dark.

It was Saturday before I knew it. Even then, my other chores took priority before I could visit my big pets. The grass around the houses grows so fast, and snakes are thriving, so I need to keep on top of it if I don’t want to lose my doggies.

And so, instead of going to ensure my cows were well, I walked around the house pushing the mower, feeling tired and overwhelmed thinking about my seemingly hopeless situation.

The unexpected cancellation of my work contract brought some havoc to my life. I was lucky that they gave me four weeks’ notice, and I still have a job, but looking for a new contract is a full-time job in itself. Writing all the letters, talking to so many people, and conducting, sometimes last-minute, interviews is exhausting.

And now George has an appointment at the hospital for his heart procedure, and I need to take him to the city. How should this work? How can I continue working and get him to town, and what should I do with my pets? Tom is on holiday, so not only he can’t look after my pets, but I promised I would look after his feathery friends. I can stay at his place, but it’s almost 40km from my work and George’s hospital.

All these thoughts were passing through my head when I glimpsed down the hill towards the cattle yards. “What is Daisy doing there?” — I thought to myself when I noticed a little black creature walking towards the gate. But soon, I realized it couldn’t be Daisy, as she was comfortably lying under the house enjoying the shade and cool breeze. “Did Aurora have her baby, too?” I wondered and decided to go for a walk.

I took a bucket of cattle nuts and my camera, and with Daisy, we walked to the paddock. Only Grace and her baby were near the yards when we arrived, and one cow was missing. I filled the feeders and wanted to take some photos of the little guy, but as soon as mum came to the food, her baby ran away to hide in the grass and wait for her. Quietly, I walked towards him, trying to take some photos, but he disappeared from my view.

Eventually, I got closer to him and watched him from a safe distance, not to stress him. It didn’t take long, and his mum returned, making sure her baby was safe. I took a few photos and walked away in the search for the second baby.

I eventually found him and his mum back at the yards. The little boy was just a few hours old and could barely stand on his wobbly legs, but he was determined to discover the world.

His worried mum followed him as he wandered and checked out everything. I noticed the boy walking in my direction, so I squatted and stretched out my hand. To my surprise, the little fella came to me and sniffled my hand. I could feel his cool, wet nose touching my fingers and his warm breath stroking the palm of my hand. Something like that has never happened to me before. Newborn calves are usually much more cautious, like his half-brother, who follows his mum or hides in the grass and waits for her to return.

I felt as if this little creature who just came to the world tried to say to me, “You have to be bold, curious and brave, like me. Trust life as I trust you that you won’t hurt me and everything will be all right. You will see”. Suddenly, a warm, pleasant feeling engulfed me, and all I could feel was peace and gratitude.

I looked at all the cattle surrounding me. They were untroubled and calm, looking at me curiously and spreading a blissful feeling of contentment and tranquillity. All the cows have experienced so much since they came to my property. We went through drought, floods, and, recently, fires. Nonetheless, despite all this, they concentrate on their purpose, which is bringing offspring into the world and looking after them as well as they can. They do not stress; they just keep going.

And so I have to keep going. I do not know how to solve all my issues, and I do not know what the next week will bring, but I know my goal, and I have to concentrate on achieving it by doing my best instead of stressing and worrying about it.

And so I returned home feeling peace and gratitude, and I sat at my desk to continue with my work and do my best without worrying about “what-ifs”. Life can be overwhelming, but the little calf is right: we need to stay bold and keep going, as life doesn’t wait for anything and anyone. The world won’t stop for us; it will keep turning, and we need to live in the moment, doing our best without worrying about tomorrow or regretting the past.

And here are a couple of articles I enjoyed on Reciprocal today.

Take the quiz Avanthi Nadesan wrote — it’s definitely worth it! It’s a great reminder what is really important in life

The second story is by Shubha Apte who shares her thoughts and emotions of saying goodbye to her mum and the lessons she learned from this experience