Background:
I live in small town Georgia, and married into a wonderful family of cattle farmers. Although I had grown up in the same little town, I had never experienced farm life at the level of theirs until, by marriage, I became a "Burnette". I didn't fully understand the struggles and rewards that came along with the (not so) "simple" (this term is laughable when one considers the endless amounts of back-breaking work and necessary knowledge involved) life. The Burnette's have been farming the same land for more than four generations now, and it is more than a job title, it is what defines them through and through. They posses an amazing ability to be completely self sufficient, and the farm itself is an extension of their being. I am slowly learning the reigns of this fabulous life style through experiences such as the one about to be told.
Kasper and Me (2009):
I, the newest (not yet, so good) Burnette farm girl, learned a very important lesson in life with the birth of Kasper, the paralyzed calf. Yes, I told you the story was going to be a bit unconventional, but it is extremely relevant to this moment in my life. ~here goes the tale~
*As an added bonus, I decided to include a little video clip of Kasper.
http://youtu.be/NaDV0auTCHY
Kasper (name given by yours truly) the little calf, was born without the ability to use his back legs. I, the animal lover, couldn't stand the thought of him being put down. I was sure that he deserved a fighting chance, and decided to ask my father-in-law to let me care for him. He, of course, said yes, even though he knew the inevitable outcome. With great confidence, I took on the the task of "rescuing" Kasper. Twice a day bottle feedings, before daylight and after work and/or school, depending on the day of the week were a necessity. My fabulous husband, who also knew the predictable outcome because he was raised on the same farm, built me a lift for the little one. This enabled me to pick him off the ground for daily physical therapy sessions. Yep, physical therapy for a cow....I did it =-/ I, along with the help of the willing family member of the day, spent hours at the barn feeding and caring for this little calf. A very long story made short, Kasper eventually took a few steps on his own. On this day I called every member of the family to celebrate. One would have thought I was celebrating the first steps of my own child. I was so thrilled that I had defeated the odds and saved the life of baby Kasper that I couldn't contain my happiness.
Well, I wish the story ended happily ever after here, but it doesn't. My in-laws, and husband were right about the outcome from the beginning. I will spare you the sad details, but Kasper didn't make it in the end. Nature defeated nurture this time. While I was working, my husband called to give me the news so that I wouldn't drive to the barn at the close of my shift that night. I was, needless to say, devastated.
After Kasper's passing, my father-in-law gave me another calf. This one was healthy and lively. My in-laws kept her with the rest of the herd, and I basically had nothing to do with caring for her, but he always reminded me that she was mine. She grew into a fine cow, and while I was away at a field school in Belize, she gave birth to a beautiful baby. My mother-in-law sent me pictures of the little one and I named him after the mountain that I was working at the top of in Belize. Pol Sak Pak, "white face mountain/cliff", was the Mayan name for the site. The baby had a beautiful white face so I named him Pol Sak.
Fast forward 10 months:
I am frantically scurrying about in an attempt to finish up with school while preparing for my trip to India. Although I am waiting tables to earn the remaining amount of money needed for my golden ticket into graduate school, aka a $1,400 plane ticket, the deadline is quickly approaching.
My mother-in-law calls me early one morning; she tells me that my father-in-law has something important to talk to me about. After 6 years of dating (another story to be told.. we have been together...well, almost forever), and 6 years of marriage to my husband, my father-in-law has never had anything important to "talk to me about". My mother-in-law does most all of the "important talking" that needs to be done in the family. This phone call left me super freaked out, to say the least. I couldn't start to imagine what he had to talk with me about.
I drove straight to the Burnette place, and with little chatting at all, my sweet father-in-law handed me a check from the cattle sale the night before. My latest calf, that I had contributed zero time and effort to caring for, had sold. The check was made out directly to me for an amount almost exact to the remaining balance of my plane ticket. My father-in-law and I had never discussed my financial needs. He had absolutely no way of knowing what I lacked in funding for my trip.
Karma and Blessings:
I feel so sure that a good deed has been rewarded in this situation. I have been waiting for the moment to tell the story, and I feel that my new blog is the perfect place to do so. This story isn't just about a mindless attempt to rescue a calf three years ago. It is, for me, confirmation of the path I have chosen. It is a blessing that came at the most perfect time. It is, again, confirmation that hard work and dedication is rewarded, even if the initial result isn't the one you were looking for. I feel that this trip to India is one of great importance, and will most likely have a profound affect on the outcome of my acceptance into the graduate program that I hope to be a part of. This check from my calf....a gift from my father-in-law, has the potential to forever change the trajectory of my life's work. As I so gratefully say thank you to him, I can't help but believe that he now has karma on his side =) Hopefully, I will, one day, be the one to reciprocate the kindness.
