WordPress Daily: Hi, Mom!

Today is mother's day in the United States. Wherever in the world you are, write your mother a letter.
Photographers, share a photo that says mothering.

My mother died about thirty years ago and last week on 9^th May she would have been 100 years old if she had still been alive. I will not write her a letter, I am now a mother, two step children and two own children and will be 70 years old in three years, so the time for writing letters is long past. I have to get on with my own life. My mother did her job well and I hope I do mine just as good.

So here is a little story from the farm. A friend of mine is a farmer’s wife and I have spent many happy hours with my camera at her farm.

“Hi Mom, you don’t have to keep looking over the wall to see if I am here. No problem, There are four of us in the nursery. We can all see our mums if we get lonely. Yes I know we are only a few weeks old, but we all stood our own legs a couple of hours after arriving. Yes mum, we get fed well, fresh milk a couple of times a day, a nice comfortable bed of straw to sleep on. I know it would be better to have the milk straight from the cow tap, but you cannot have everything.”

“I must say you have grown since you were born and you have become so independent. Don’t forget, the first time you go out to the meadow, keep together with the others. No wandering off. The world is a dangerous place for a calf and above all keep eating the grass. That will ensure a good milk production when you are older, and a milk cow is always the best sort of cow to be.”

“Why is that mum?”

“Don’t ask silly questions; just take your mother’s advice. The humans always look after milk producing cows. Look how nice we have it here, you are just a look away from me and not even alone. We mother cows are all happy knowing that our calves are well looked after and doing well.”

“And we calves are happy to know that mum is not far away. By the way mum, where is dad? One of my friends said that every calf has a dad.”

“Yes, it’s true, but don’t bother about little details like that. We females have become very independent. With a little help from the farmer, it is all automatic today. I have to go now, the farmer is coming to take us to the milking room.”

“No problem mum, see you later. And have a happy mother’s day.”

“Thankyou daughter, I will knowing that you are near and that you are being well looked after.”

And so the calf lay down to sleep content having such a wonderful mother, but still wondering what she meant by being “automatic” when she was talking about her dad. Slowly the picture of a strong bull with horns was disappearing, being replaced by something “automatic” whatever that is.