Sleepless Nights and Endless Memories

by Michele Boy | January 30, 2025

  It’s the end of January 2025. I spent a couple nights trading shifts with my husband watching one of our ewes waiting for a lamb.
  She gave birth on Tuesday afternoon on a beautiful, sunny, 50 degree day.  She had a long, hard labor but was blessed with twins which was a surprise to me. 
  The first born was up on her feet and nursing on mama in an hour. The second born was tinier. He took a couple hours to get up, wasn’t steady on his feet, and needed some help getting nutrition through the first night. 
Since the paper had to go out with some semblance of coherence, my husband was the one who checked and fed him every two hours. He never complained.  
I had much more sleep and am still complaining about how tired I am. lol 
  As the ewe was giving birth, I was on the phone with my husband as he was directing me on things I could do. I quickly became aware of my strengths and weaknesses! 
  The birth was taking a while and we were getting concerned. I started to massage her back near the vulva and it worked. We had a baby lamb! As I was helping her, I turned around and we had another! 
 It was touch and go and we aren’t out of the woods yet. But as I watched my husband with such care I was reminded of all those out there caring for livestock. 
They pull all nighters. They enjoy the sunny days but when the baby is born in below freezing temperatures they are out there providing heat, food, towels, and more. They feed supplements to help the tiny ones get strong. They warm them, doctor them, and I love how God sent these caretakers to Earth. And even when they are done, there are the every day chores that don’t get done without them. 
  If I knew the hours and sleepless nights ahead, would I have made the same choices? To have livestock? The sleepless nights that can often make us irritable, cranky, hallucinating from lack of sleep, are not the perks of this life.   
  But the memories, the joy of watching a birth, the trust of that baby, the miracle of life. That’s the good stuff. The hugs, the snuggles, and the satisfaction of a life well lived. All of that is God’s beauty! 
  In truth each day is a new experience. There are challenges we never knew were coming. We didn’t know if we had the strength to keep on. But we did because we are still here. And if our focus is on the obstacles maybe we miss the good stuff.     
  Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  In Psalm 119:105, KJV, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” 
  We are living moment to moment. Some of those moments are more painful than we could ever imagine. And others are incredible joys we want to savor for a long time. 
I think it’s important to remember that as I am unsure if I am babbling here. 
  My clothes and shoes smell of the sheep barn. I could use a day of laundry, rest, and it all reminds me of when our daughter was born. All the dreams of napping, the endless list of to do’s, and I remember how when I had ten minutes, I could accomplish seventeen things! 
  And during these times, it is the people that come to your aid that I am grateful for.  They step in, rush something over, and lend a hand. 
  A few days ago before all this got started, I was able to lend a hand to someone else. 
Here is the mushy part of my column. What a better world we live in when we can lend a hand, when we can find something to be thankful for, and when we can get a nap. ha!