Thursday, May 24, 2012

"A Goat Story for You" by Alison


One of our goats, Yuleme, started resisting the milking stand.  She just would not get up there even with my husband lifting her on, she would go flat on her stomach and refuse. It happened mostly for my husband and he'd call me out to help and the two of us together got her up.  On morning it was my turn to milk once again she refused to get up. So I got down to her eye level and she somehow told me she felt under appreciated, she felt more like a commodity than a being.  She needed some love.  I told her we were sorry, that we so appreciated all she had to offer our family, that her milk was nourishing our family.  I stroked her neck and told her I would not force her to get up on the stand but reminded her she would physically feel more comfortable once she was milked, I promised to be gentle with her.  Then she went right up.

I realize she was mirroring my husband’s feelings about going to work everyday, his resistance to it and feeling under appreciated for the way her provided for our family.  I shared these things with him and he both laughed and sighed.  Then I told him how much we loved him and we appreciated the way he provides for us.  Later that evening when it was his turn to milk he had a moment with Yuleme where he said he was sorry for being so greedy with the milk, that he loved the milk and how grateful he was for what she had to offer.  He then explained how he works in a world of greed, that it is hard for him to step in and out of his career and farm life.  She jumped up for him also.  In addition to that her milk supply has increase at each milking.  She really is a sweet goat. 

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