You risk tears if you let yourself be tamed.
And when the time to leave was near:
'Ah!' the fox said. 'I shall weep.'
The Little Prince, Antoine de Sainte-Exupery
It's been the time of year where life is nuts on a sheep dairy, where we all are working 12 hour days and getting up in the middle of the night. It's a time when we feel like we will not make it through the week and we never fully tie up any loose ends. It's a mad scramble of new life and all the complications that come along with that. But, the end of this barely-keeping-the-farm-running time of year is in sight since all the lambs have been weaned from their mothers and will soon all be sent out to pasture!
The lambs cry and whine, constantly wanting to be cared for. When they are pleased, they run and jump with a crazy exuberance for the new life they now possess until they are so tired they can do nothing but lie in pile with all their brothers and sisters. Everything is a new experience, curiosity rules, and food is absolutely the best part of life.
The mothers, who surprisingly quickly recovered from the heartbreak of losing their children, are habituated to their twice daily udder cleaning and maintenance. Lining up when we are late to milk them, always expecting us when we've tamed them to expect us.They're also enjoying the glorious, but rare, sunny and warm days of lolling around in the new green growth in the pastures.
The cheese is being made from this twice daily surplus. It is made in beautiful, metallic machinery designed to do this specific job in the best and most efficient way possible. The curds are pressed, the whey is drained, the cheese is handled twice daily, as well, to ensure it ages perfectly and beautifully.
And the humans are tired, but also enjoy the rare, glowing days where we sip beer in the sunlight at the beach. We worship these days like the precious things that they are. We hear the frogs at night, the birds in the morning, and the lambs always. Spring is upon us. We see the daffodils in bloom and the tulips too, reminding us of days without anything to do but play on the beach. We appreciate, more than anything, the company of others who understand our immense tiredness but also refuse to fall asleep too early. That time where we aren't working and we are with others is cherished.
We work, not for the money, but for the meaning. We work hard, but still find every moment possible to enjoy what we do and how we do it. Constantly creating ties and reaping the rewards and effects, no matter the weeping that is caused.
