12/23/2025
Merry Christmas everyone!
The old farmer came in from morning chores. He changed his ragged coat, wet boots with hurried excitment. Back out the door, in the truck, and gone before his wife could pour his coffee.
What could he be in such a hurry for on Christmas eve she thought to herself.
Miles away a car slowly navigates the familiar but frozen country roads. Very unhappy kids in the backseat.
"Why do we have to go there"
"That farm is dirty "
"They smell funny"
"They never get us anything"
There Dad looked sternly at them in the mirror.
"Your grandparents are hardworking people"
"They don't have a lot of money"
After the last miles in silence they arrived at the old farmhouse. Met at the door with big warm hugs that only mamaw can give, and fresh cookies.
"Where's Dad"
"He took off to town right after milking" said the old lady.
Soon the old man returned. After the usual lukewarm greeting, and a few ruffled heads he sat a cloth alfalfa seed bag beside his worn but comfortable chair without notice from anyone. He brushed the white hair from his wife's face for a peck on the cheek as she poured his coffee.
It wasn't long that the old man rose from his chair, pulled on his old coat, stuck a couple cookies in his pocket, and headed out to the barn. Followed quickly by the younger man doing his best to keep up. Leaving the disinterested kids with there electronics.
In the barn the young man was transported to the simpler days of his childhood. The vacuum pump humming outside, the clicking of the pulsators overhead, the calm gentle way the old man talked to the cows. Everything just the way it always had been. Without being told he knew exactly what to do to help. Like riding a bicycle he jumped right in. Strangely the tedious tasks of forking hay, scooping feed, and cleaning cows seemed more gratifying to him now then at 16.
To the old mans suprise everything was soon finished. With a tired old hand on his shoulder he jokingly said, "good help is hard to find".
Soon they returned to the tiny farmhouse to find a Christmas eve supper fit for a king. Everything from there farm, the good simple kind of food that can only come from loving experienced hands, well cared for animals, and a well manured garden.
After his last sip of coffee, and his second piece of pie the old man headed back out the door.
"Clara is sapost to calve tonight" he told his wife "be back soon.
Time went by. The old lady looked worried as she peered out the kitchen window.
"I'll go get him momma" the young man said as he pulled on his coat.
He found the old man in a dark corner of the barn shoulder deep in an old cow who looked close to death.
His first thought was for his boys to see what was about to happen. He ran back to the house and without explanation grabbed the young boys and all but dragged them out to the old barn. They found the old man still struggling to untangle the calf inside while the cow bawled faintly in the deep straw.
"Thats disgusting"
"What is he doing"
"Hush and watch"
Finally the old man managed to free both back legs. Recognizing the urgency of the situation the younger man jumped the gate to help his already tired father. Together they freed the huge bull calf from its mother. Decades of experience kicked in the old man did what he'd done a thousand times before. Once the calf coughed to life and began to wiggle its slimy ears he pulled it around for the cow to clean off. However she was to far gone.
"Sit down Dad. I will clean it up"
Useing the straw then warm towels soon the calf was trying to stand.
The young boys were amazed by what they had jest witnessed. A thousand questions ran through their heads, but they couldn't find the words to ask them.
Frozen colostrum saved for jest such an occasion and shortly the new calf was on its feet.
The old man hadn't said anything for a couple hours. As he took out an old pistol wrapped in oiled rags from a cabinet he asked his son if he wanted to take the kids outside.
"No they've seen birth they need to see the rest"
"This part ain't as pretty" said the old man as he rubbed the words "Vietnam 68-69" crudely scratched into the pistol.
The younger boy began to cry asking what papaw was going to do.
He held his children close as the old man cocked the pistol. He lovingly stroked the old cows head then put her down.
The shot rang threw the old barn every animal jumped. The younger boy ran back to the house. Having heard the gunshot the old woman about knew what had happened.
As everyone quietly came back in the house the old woman whispered to her son "Clara was born the day your brother went to Iraq"
This was a special cow to the old man. He sat quietly in his chair by the wood stove. Tears periodically rolling down his sun aged face, disappearing into his white beard.
Suddenly he wiped his face before he thought anyone would notice. "Well its Christmas now" he sorrowfully said "sorry I ruined it for everyone"
Before anyone could protest he pulled out his seed bag.
"Maybe I can make it a little better"
For each of the boys he presented a plain black bible with there name inscribed on it, and a new case pocket knife.
"You boys have seen some of the best, and some of the worst parts of life tonight" the old man's voice broke as he began to speak. "Now you have the two best tools I can give you to deal with it".
