Have you ever learned a lesson from an animal? I know that sounds strange but this woman did just that a few weeks ago. I saw something happen out under the big blue sky that is forever engraved in my mind and has forever affected my heart and my thoughts.
I did share this little story on face book, but I will repeat it for those of you who may have forgotten or those who did not get to read it. It is a picture I saw that cloudy day, one that neither my husband nor I have ever seen in our 40 years of farming. In this story I have seen a picture of how I myself could become a blessing in my lifetime.
We were hauling our cows and calves to pasture, We had taken two trailor loads of momma's out and unloaded them. It was about impossible to get out the gate as those momma's came storming up there and tried to follow us out. They wanted their babies!
On our second and last loads we had one of the trailors full of the mothers and in the other trailor was all the babies. When we came to the gate, there were those mothers running back and forth along the fence bawling for the babies. We pulled both trailors into the pasture and jumped out among those nervous mothers.
We flew open the back gate and out ran babies of all sizes. Mothers ran from one to the other smelling each to see if her baby was there. As soon as they discovered witch was theirs, the whole herd took off running west. They were free. They were back under that big blue Kansas sky. Mother's ran.....bawling as they went. Babies ran, little tails out straight, running, kicking up their heels. They were excited, and not paying attention to no one nor nothing.
We stood there beside the trailors, just watching. Our attention was on one special little calf. He was one of the youngest. He had needed some doctoring a few days earlier, so we wanted to make sure he would be ok. So we stood there and watched. That is when we saw it.
That little calf was running along in back of the herd. He was trying to keep up but his little legs were getting tired. He fell back 100 yards, 200 than 300. He was loosing ground. I turned to my husband and asked "What will happen to him? His mother isn't even concerned! They are all just leaving him!"
"We'll just watch and see" was his answer.
All of a sudden an older calf stopped and for some reason he turned around and looked back at that poor little calf, trying to "keep up" He looked at him and then looked at those running ahead, then back to his little friend. Out of the blue that older calf turned around, and ran back to his struggling friend. He ran, kicking up his little heals, full of excitement and happy. He reached him about the time the others were crusting the hill. The last picture we had of those two, was of them standing there together watching the herd disappear over the hill and out of sight. They walked together up over that same hill. We knew that our little calf would be ok.
One of the things I enjoy is to ride along with my husband when he goes to town. Sometimes I go into the stores with him, but other times I stay in the pickup and just watch people. While I set there watching, I try to notice their expressions, watch the way they carry themselves. As I set there watching I think to myself: You know something, you have no idea what all those people face everyday. I wonder are they happy? Were they abused? Are they lonely? Do they have children who bring them happiness, or grandchildren who hug them? Are they in love? Are they planning a wedding? Have they just went through a divorce that has tore their world to shreds?
There are lots of people around me who are just like that " herd of cattle". They love life. They can dance, and sing and they are accepted. Really life in general is like this for me. Of course everyone has their ups and downs, but in general, life is good.
The thought came to me: Am I just satified living my own life or do I turn around and see the less fortunate? Do I take time to listen to someone who's heart is breaking? Do I bend down to pick up the books of someone who has been bullied, someone who stands there after his books have been rudely shoved from his arms? Do I take a minute to gently help an older person across the street, or give a hug to a poor lonely old man who lives alone? Am I willing to quietly walk beside someone who needs a friend? Do I understand anothers weakness? Do I make someone feel good about themself?
Our words can have great influencs on another. They can make a difference in a life. Our words can turn someones world from sunshine to storm clouds, or from gloom to beauty. I once read where our tongue has no bones but is very strong.
I had a personal experience awhile back that I am willing to share to show what I mean about the power of our words to another. You see I have a real phobra of hospitals. I just cannot visit someone there. Because of this phobra, I often feel inadequate, not useful to others. I feel sometimes like the whole world is moving on and leaving me there alone.
We were with friends a while back and this subject of "hospital visits" came up in the conversation. Some of them were saying that they wanted to visit this older man in the hospital. I knew deep inside myself that I should visit him also. I knew that he needed our company but I just felt that I couldn't . As we talked, my self esteem started to go down hill. I started to feel bad, and like everyone was so much better than myself.
Then out of nowhere this one man looked at me with all seriousness and said: "You know it must be that you just have a very soft heart and it hurts you to see others suffering because you were so good with my mother when you helped here at the house." I just stood there staring at him. That young man will never know how much his kind, gentle, sincere words meant to me that day. Those few words he spoke truned my world into sunshine. They helped me to see my weakness in a whole different light. They helped me to love myself rather than telling myself how worthless I was. I learned a lesson that day. I learned that my words or actions to another can make a difference in how they think of themselves.
So see.....we never know what a kind word will do to someones tumbling world. We never know when someone needs a listening ear, or an arm of understanding thrown across their shoulder. I hope I can be like that little calf: I hope that I can take time to look back and see the needy heart.
I did share this little story on face book, but I will repeat it for those of you who may have forgotten or those who did not get to read it. It is a picture I saw that cloudy day, one that neither my husband nor I have ever seen in our 40 years of farming. In this story I have seen a picture of how I myself could become a blessing in my lifetime.
We were hauling our cows and calves to pasture, We had taken two trailor loads of momma's out and unloaded them. It was about impossible to get out the gate as those momma's came storming up there and tried to follow us out. They wanted their babies!
On our second and last loads we had one of the trailors full of the mothers and in the other trailor was all the babies. When we came to the gate, there were those mothers running back and forth along the fence bawling for the babies. We pulled both trailors into the pasture and jumped out among those nervous mothers.
We flew open the back gate and out ran babies of all sizes. Mothers ran from one to the other smelling each to see if her baby was there. As soon as they discovered witch was theirs, the whole herd took off running west. They were free. They were back under that big blue Kansas sky. Mother's ran.....bawling as they went. Babies ran, little tails out straight, running, kicking up their heels. They were excited, and not paying attention to no one nor nothing.
We stood there beside the trailors, just watching. Our attention was on one special little calf. He was one of the youngest. He had needed some doctoring a few days earlier, so we wanted to make sure he would be ok. So we stood there and watched. That is when we saw it.
That little calf was running along in back of the herd. He was trying to keep up but his little legs were getting tired. He fell back 100 yards, 200 than 300. He was loosing ground. I turned to my husband and asked "What will happen to him? His mother isn't even concerned! They are all just leaving him!"
"We'll just watch and see" was his answer.
All of a sudden an older calf stopped and for some reason he turned around and looked back at that poor little calf, trying to "keep up" He looked at him and then looked at those running ahead, then back to his little friend. Out of the blue that older calf turned around, and ran back to his struggling friend. He ran, kicking up his little heals, full of excitement and happy. He reached him about the time the others were crusting the hill. The last picture we had of those two, was of them standing there together watching the herd disappear over the hill and out of sight. They walked together up over that same hill. We knew that our little calf would be ok.
One of the things I enjoy is to ride along with my husband when he goes to town. Sometimes I go into the stores with him, but other times I stay in the pickup and just watch people. While I set there watching, I try to notice their expressions, watch the way they carry themselves. As I set there watching I think to myself: You know something, you have no idea what all those people face everyday. I wonder are they happy? Were they abused? Are they lonely? Do they have children who bring them happiness, or grandchildren who hug them? Are they in love? Are they planning a wedding? Have they just went through a divorce that has tore their world to shreds?
There are lots of people around me who are just like that " herd of cattle". They love life. They can dance, and sing and they are accepted. Really life in general is like this for me. Of course everyone has their ups and downs, but in general, life is good.
The thought came to me: Am I just satified living my own life or do I turn around and see the less fortunate? Do I take time to listen to someone who's heart is breaking? Do I bend down to pick up the books of someone who has been bullied, someone who stands there after his books have been rudely shoved from his arms? Do I take a minute to gently help an older person across the street, or give a hug to a poor lonely old man who lives alone? Am I willing to quietly walk beside someone who needs a friend? Do I understand anothers weakness? Do I make someone feel good about themself?
Our words can have great influencs on another. They can make a difference in a life. Our words can turn someones world from sunshine to storm clouds, or from gloom to beauty. I once read where our tongue has no bones but is very strong.
I had a personal experience awhile back that I am willing to share to show what I mean about the power of our words to another. You see I have a real phobra of hospitals. I just cannot visit someone there. Because of this phobra, I often feel inadequate, not useful to others. I feel sometimes like the whole world is moving on and leaving me there alone.
We were with friends a while back and this subject of "hospital visits" came up in the conversation. Some of them were saying that they wanted to visit this older man in the hospital. I knew deep inside myself that I should visit him also. I knew that he needed our company but I just felt that I couldn't . As we talked, my self esteem started to go down hill. I started to feel bad, and like everyone was so much better than myself.
Then out of nowhere this one man looked at me with all seriousness and said: "You know it must be that you just have a very soft heart and it hurts you to see others suffering because you were so good with my mother when you helped here at the house." I just stood there staring at him. That young man will never know how much his kind, gentle, sincere words meant to me that day. Those few words he spoke truned my world into sunshine. They helped me to see my weakness in a whole different light. They helped me to love myself rather than telling myself how worthless I was. I learned a lesson that day. I learned that my words or actions to another can make a difference in how they think of themselves.
So see.....we never know what a kind word will do to someones tumbling world. We never know when someone needs a listening ear, or an arm of understanding thrown across their shoulder. I hope I can be like that little calf: I hope that I can take time to look back and see the needy heart.
A very good lesson for all~ Well done Helen!
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