I witnessed my first birth today. A quick stop at the farm to check on lunch plans with my sister-in-law turned into a “before my eyes” moment as a baby lamb entered the world. I’ve never seen that before… and I have 2 kids of my own (c-section births left me with a different perspective of the “becoming a mother” experience). The ewe needed assistance because the lamb was positioned the wrong way, and my sister-in-law acted pretty bravely jumping in to turn it properly so the ewe could deliver. What an amazing sight: birth. New Life. Watching the ewe tend to her newborn so instinctively was such an affirmation of motherhood.
And then I saw her turn on the 1st twin, the one that had been delivered just a lit bit earlier. As that lamb sought out her mother’s milk, the ewe acted out in aggression, spurning it time and again. It broke my heart a little. She just completely refused one baby, while protecting and caring for the other!
Okay, I know…I KNOW it was a sheep. I get that. This is the way it works and nature has a way… but the mom in me was horrified. The lamb will be fine. My sister and brother-in-law will take care of it, and there are lots of other sheep that will most likely take it on as one of their own, so it will be just fine.
So today’s lesson was a good one: The beauty and cruelty of nature.
Those lambs are damn cute.
keepyourmemoriesinyourshoes 