Everyday Gratitude
The season of Thanksgiving comes at an opportune time of year, when the remarkable shortness of the days catches up with us and winter arrives to freeze the earth and cloak what remains in blankets of white.
It can be easy to focus on what we’ve lost: summer or the beautiful autumn leaves, warmth and light. And then there comes Thanksgiving, reminding us that gratitude is the attitude that carries us through even the dark times of the year.
The animals on the farm are tuned into gratitude just as much as they can be grumpy when you’re late for chores. Simple everyday pleasures like the morning feeding or an afternoon treat turn their attitudes right around, whether they be beast or fowl. Lately, we’ve been roasting pie pumpkins, scraping out the stringy guts and slippery seeds and saving them for the laying hens. The ladies LOVE these tasty treats, gobbling up the seeds and running about with the strings like they’ve just discovered golden treasure.
Their pleasure is infectious, and we laugh and chuckle at their chicken antics. My sister Kara shot this week’s image after the first round of pumpkin guts were offered. We certainly don’t have to wonder anymore if the ladies would like them!
With harvests wrapped up for the garden and the fencing tore down, the last of the gleaning is for the pigs before the deer eat everything up. Today, Mom and Steve tore out several rows of broccoli plants, loading them into the dump bed of the utility golf cart we use for chores and trundling over the light snow to the pig pens. Hungry pigs can sound terribly grumpy, muttering and grumbling at the sight of people. But, when Steve reached into the stack and pulled out a huge armload of broccoli plants, the raucous suddenly stopped as the beady eyes saw the mound of treats.
Chickens would rather scatter and then return to feast once the goods are placed on the floor, but pigs want to be RIGHT underneath the food as it descends. Doesn’t matter how sloppy or wet it is, just bring it on, and they will gladly walk about their pen wearing a saddle of weeds or other goods for munching.
Grateful livestock are usually quiet livestock, as the baahing and braying and neighing and grunting happens as they remind you of their needs and expectations. Once these have been met, all grows quiet in the barnyard beyond contented munching.
The animals also show their contentedness when resting in cozy habitats. Pigs snuggle up together, half-buried in the fresh straw of their huts; sheep laze together in the barn, chewing cud; chickens fluff up in their nesting boxes, cooing to themselves. They are happy with their routines and the little pleasures of the day. No need for anything fancy or expensive, just comfort, treats, and safety.
We can learn from the everyday gratitude of the animals on our farm, finding happiness in the everyday little pleasures like comfort, treats, and safety. Maybe that’s a cup of hot cocoa by the woodstove after a long day, enjoying handcrafts snuggled up with blankets and pillows on the sofa, or the smell of your favorite cookies baking in the oven.
The animals are grateful for warm places to shelter and sleep, good food at regular intervals, and protection from predators. These are sureties that the wild animals of the forest do not have. In our own lives, sometimes we take the basics for granted—food, shelter, clothing, safety from violence—even though these are fundamental to comfort and health. The season of Thanksgiving gives us an invitation to check in with what can be taken for granted and think on those who do not have their essential needs met.
Our livestock feel the everyday comforts because our family tends to their needs and looks after their wellbeing and quality of life. As humans, we can offer such care and attention to each other, creating comfort, safety, and treats to bring everyday joy to our lives. That is what I hope for all of you this Thanksgiving: gratitude for the little things that keep us all going, even in the darkest times of the year. See you down on the farm sometime.
