I saw a meme a couple weeks ago that made me howl (with laughter, of course) because it was 100% me. It said: “I may be an introvert… but I will talk about cows with total strangers.”
Yes. Yes, I will.
Because I love my cows. I have three now (spoiled pets)—a Jersey named Daryl, an unknown black dairy-mix with white rear feet aptly named Two Socks, and Two Sock’s second calf, Éire, whose rear feet are also white.
I like to joke that they’re my therapy cows, but in truth, they are. They’re currently staying at a friend’s dad’s property just out of town, and I drive out every morning to check their feed and water and to spend a few minutes to an hour with them, depending on what they need… and what I need. I can be in the worst mood, and after five minutes with them, my worries melt away.
See, you have to be calm around prey animals if you want to get close to them. And I mean CALM. Dogs and cats are sensitive, sure, but prey animals are on a whole ‘nuther level. They pick up on the slightest tension in you. So if you want to work with them, you have to focus on calming yourself first. Slow breathing, slow heartbeat, slow movements. Peaceful. Content in the moment.
I’ve been working with my two mamas long enough now that I start the “calming process” habitually, without thinking about it, before I set foot in their pasture. And that’s as good for me as it is for them. Doesn’t matter how anxious I am or how deep in a “funk” (like this morning). It’s ingrained now, that calmness. And it can reset my entire day. So. Yes, Daryl and Two Socks and Éire (whose “pet-ification” process is nearly complete already) are my therapy cows. Because they bring me joy and because they’ve taught me how to embrace the peace in the moment even when peace feels like the hardest thing to find.
