We are family

With enough occasions to show Bee the answer was “good tidings”, this woolly lass would step our way. Her two curious little babes darted this way and that as only lamby cherubs can. They wanted to show us no fear, yet the caution Bee exuded did not escape them. And clearly, they knew, that mumma knows best!

And mumma clearly does know best, too! For, at just two days old on their arrival, the robustness of M and W could not hide the superior powers only mother’s milk can provide. In a matter of days Bee had already taught her babies to eat grass, a skill that hand-reared lambs often take many weeks to learn.

Watching this happy family unit on this glorious sunny day brings a special joy to our hearts. There is nothing quite like the well-rehearsed routine of M and W as they mirror the other and dive each side of Bee to latch on to a teat. Their long lamby tails fly high like kites, soaring and diving on the prevailing winds. And if the scene could not be made more perfect, somehow it is, as in unison they drop to their knees as Bee’s body is hoisted upward, buoyed by the enthusiasm of their sucking.

It reminds us of our own treasured time with our families and the bonds that tie us together. It is in moments like this, we are reminded that love and family are not solely a human preserve: they are shared across the animal kingdom. We see in these instances that the need for family and its sense of belonging is universal.

And as we head back to the barn, a gentle smile takes hold as we reflect that Bee, M and W have found theirs.

This is family. This is love.