On a very cold and dreary night, nothing but snow was in sight.
A newborn calf was alone in the pasture, not a mother nor a father nor a master.
I went into the blizzard in search of the calf; it did not call and I couldn’t laugh.
Its legs were frozen, its eyes were closed, its body was weak, its face was rosed.
So, I took it home and warmed it with milk. Its hooves were soft, its skin like silk.
The calf awoke, suddenly it had revived. It began to beller, it had survived.
Soon it was contented, its life was not rented.
A life to live of its own. Mother Nature had given her a home.
Oh, this lucky Christmas Eve Calf!
I had to dig into my personal poetic archives for this poem. I wrote this when I was 10 years old. At the time I wrote it I think I was concerned about rhyme and meter, getting a good grade, and not having to repeat fifth grade English. After dusting off my journal of prose and poetry I realized I had written about the course of the year 2020. Pretty prophetic if I may say so. A situation that went from bleak to bright. It’s interesting how we can look at things differently, especially when we are searching for goodness, goodwill and good vibrations.
Let’s use that as a segue into Christmas and the holiday season. I don’t think it can get here fast enough! There is a whole sleigh full of Christmas traditions and memories to occupy our minds as we untangle the Yuletide ornaments stored in the garage. Every family has its own long-standing traditions when it comes to celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Tree lightings, eggnog, family pajamas, baked goodies, and mommy kissing Santa Claus just to name a few. The list is endless. Christmas caroling, Christmas presents, Christmas cards, Christmas programs, and getting your Christmas goose cooked.
We all have our own memories of friends, loved ones and traditions. I cherish them and I hope you do too. I’m looking forward to closing out this year in the best way possible.
Have a Merry Christmas everyone!
Terry Hobbs is the board president for Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. He is also a member of Western Cooperative Electric’s Board of Trustees in WaKeeney.