Grateful - Even This Year

In my 53 years, I have never experienced a year as tumultuous as this. Between a pandemic, protests, and politics – not to mention wildfire and drought – 2020 has been the most difficult year of my lifetime. The uncertainty of this time, at least for me, often creates anxiety like nothing I’ve ever experienced. And yet through the year, the day-in-day-out responsibility of caring for sheep has kept me centered. Moving fence and moving water, checking for lambs and feeding guard dogs – these tasks instill a sense of normalcy. And as we approach the close of the old year and the opening of a new one, I’m grateful that I can call myself a shepherd.

The space between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is my favorite time of year. The ewes are bred and in the early stages of gestation, which means there’s not much for us to do besides feed the dogs and move the sheep to fresh pasture once or twice a week. The days are shorter, which forces me to slow down even more. I read more this time of year, and I reflect – on the year that’s wrapping up and on the year ahead. Life becomes quieter.

This year, our normal Christmas preparations with the sheep are somewhat complicated by the dry weather. In a “normal” year (whatever that is), we have green grass by now. This year, with the late start to the rainy season – and then the prolonged dry spell after it finally rained – we’re grateful for the dry grass that we saved from last spring. But the lack of green forage also means we’re moving sheep more frequently – and feeding alfalfa every other day.

In the week leading up to Christmas, we’ll move the sheep to a paddock that has enough forage to satisfy their appetites through the days following the holiday. On Christmas morning, I’ll usually awaken before everyone else, make a pot of coffee, and stoke the woodstove. At some point, I’ll get impatient and wake everyone else – and we’ll exchange our gifts. After a breakfast of cinnamon rolls, we’ll open our stocking gifts – and then the girls and I will head out to feed the guard dogs and check the sheep. For me, doing my regular chores in the company of both of my daughters is one of the highlights of our Christmas traditions.

I hope, as I’m sure you do as well, that 2021 is a better year. I hope we get the pandemic under control. I hope that our politics become less divisive. I hope that we make progress towards becoming a more equitable society. I hope we get rain and sunshine in normal proportions and at the appropriate time. I hope the lamb and wool markets recover. But while I know better than to expect the “perfect” year in 2021, I am grateful to be entering a new year with the same old responsibilities. I’m grateful to be caring for sheep. Happy Holidays!