04/09/2026
To paint a picture…
In the foreground, a young first-time mama nurses her calf. In the background, an older cow stands over her final calf, one that didn’t make it.
I knew last year should have been her last, but I pushed that boundary and kept her. As stewards of both the land and these animals, that isn’t always the humane choice. She should have entered the food chain before this pregnancy, but I ignored that quiet nudge, and there’s a hard lesson in that.
This pregnancy was hard on her. The birth was harder. We had to manually pull the calf, and despite everything, it wasn’t enough.
Loving these animals deeply can sometimes blur the line between compassion and responsibility. As much as my heart wants to give each one a full lifetime here, that isn’t always what’s best for them.
Today, I’m holding both gratitude and humility, thankful for the new life in this photo, and thankful for the old cow and what she’s taught me. Hard lessons, but important ones.
~Tarra
