Thirteen Lives

In the silence of this rainless void, thirteen souls stood—an eclectic mix of black-faced Suffolk rams, ewes and lambs—waiting for kindness to fall.

Alas, we were to come too late for one.

But for the others, hope arrived in the form of gentle hands, open hearts and straw-lined vehicles.

They did not understand at first. Confused, they shrank back, wary of this new world, their trust worn by time. Others, bolder, met us halfway—Batman and Robin, the caped crusaders of the flock, leading the way. Old Man held his woolly watch, his wisdom quiet but unshaken. Harlequin, with his patchwork face, studied us from a distance while little Bubba Looey, all youth and curiosity, dared to dream that perhaps kindness was real.

The ewes—Sandy, Ember, Tapestry, Jetta, Sable—huddled together, working to keep their lambs close. Confetti, Cocoa and Mosaic, speckled-faced and pretty, with eyes as deep as the earth, they looked to us with wonder and curiosity. “Could this be real?” they seemed to ask, reminding us that healing is a journey for us all.

And as they learn to trust, so do we. For kindness does not flow in just one direction—it transforms the giver as much as the receiver. And through saving them, we discover the best parts of ourselves.

Because kindness changes everything. And everyone.