Perhaps all of us are exhausted emotionally by the painful, steady stream of news about conflict in our world. Wars between nations and political factions. Racial and ethnic tension. Domestic violence. The list goes on. Don’t all of us yearn for conciliation and, when called for, reconciliation? Jennifer Bristol reminds us how important it is to seek common ground.
Jennifer Bristol serves as the Development Director at Bike Newport; her goats and gardens are located in Bristol, RI, at a small homestead aptly named High Hopes Farm.
When the goat kid was born, her mother refused to feed her. Perhaps it was because the doe, who we called Jane, had a difficult birthing, with two kids stillborn. Perhaps the tiny goat, dubbed Mouse, gave off a scent of death, or something unfamiliar. Perhaps Jane was simply tired.
We bottle fed Mouse for 48 hours and on the third day happily discovered that Jane had stepped in. They have been inseparable ever since- until today.
After eight months, and with Jane looking weary, I have had to force them apart to separate pens. Mama does on one side, kids on the other. Our second doe, well into her next pregnancy, watches from her snug position in the hay as Jane and Mouse, face to face at the fence, call out to each other mournfully. It reminds me of my own motherhood, long ago, when nursing my newborn daughter occupied my every moment; only I could offer her food and comfort. Letting that bond dissipate was a gradual and painful process. It wasn’t enough for me to know that my child had enough to eat and others she could run to. And it hurt to grow into my understanding that, even as an infant, she wouldn’t always need me to survive. Before I knew it, kindergarten arrived and it was goodbye at the bus stop – she never looked back. My second daughter put up a bit of a fight and deep inside it made me feel validated. Is this what is happening in the goat pens today? Is this pain or validation or simply an aching shift between mother and child?
I call myself a farmer but wonder if I am all that. Like so many people, I am lonely and often times hurt at how we as humans treat each other. Are there no shared experiences that could serve as our guide? I believe there are and perhaps this is why I stand here, fighting the urge to go out, throw open the gates and call,” Here you go, Mouse! Here’s your mom, ready to comfort you! ” Does humanizing their response make me less or more of a farmer? Or does it bring me one step closer to discovering the common ground between all living things? I believe animals can teach us how to better share the space between us. And it’s time to listen and learn.
