Hummingbird Farm Spring Equinox
Issue 46 - Page 1 March 20, 2012
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We Are Family
by Tera Thomas
One of my favorite things to do is sit in the pasture watching the herd. It lifts my spirits in a matter of moments. There is a lot of peace in the pasture, a lot of comradery, occasional bickering, a lot of fun, and a whole lot of love.
The herd is comprised of different species and different personalities that all manage to maintain their individuality and their herd identity at the same time. There are 4 llamas, 1 alpaca, 6 grown goats, 2 kids, 1 mini horse, 1 Welsh pony, and 2 barn cats. Though they are of different shapes and sizes, all are considered herd members and all of them act in concert.
When Lola (mama llama) was with us, she was head of the herd. With her death, there was shifting and reorganizing but the top spot has been left vacant with different animals stepping in as needed. They all respect each other.
Paco, an alpaca, is the alarm bell, shouting a loud warning if he sees anything unusual. The other day he was sounding his alarm over and over and, hard as I tried, I could see nothing. He kept insisting so I went inside to get my binoculars. Sure enough, there was a coyote way across the field. He was not near the pasture fence and paying no attention to the herd, but Paco would not stop his alarm until I shouted to make the coyote move on.
Paco was also gentle teacher to Monkey and Cocoa Dove, baby goats, when they were really little. He protected them. Now all of the older goats and the llamas have become their teachers, playing gently with them and showing them when they need to toe the line.
Moon, a goat, watches over the herd emotionally. He will nuzzle and soothe herd members when he feels they need it. He cleans their faces, sleeps next to them, and eats next to them. He spreads this care around to all members of the herd.
Lily, a barn cat, may be the smallest member of the herd but she has an important role, welcoming new comers and sleeping with any member if they are ill. Lily keeps order and I often call her the barn manager.
Inka, a llama, is the wise man, and he is often the instigator of wild chases around the pasture that get everyone leaping and playing. It’s a parade of species dancing in joy.
Watching these tender, joyful moments the animals share with each other, opens my heart. One-by-one these animals came to answer the call I put out years ago for animals who wanted to help humans remember their connection to all living beings and establish relationships and communication with all of life. The herd holds the energy of oneness, of harmony, and of deep reverence for life. These animals are teachers and healers who chose to work with people as groups and individually to heal the separation and to open their hearts. It is such a noble job and I am so grateful for their dedication.
While sitting with the herd yesterday, I was thinking about all of the things that animals have done for our species, all that they have freely given to us. Whole civilizations were built on the backs of horses; forests have been planted by squirrels; bees have pollinated plants to grow food for us; animals have protected us; comforted us, given their lives for scientific research and for food. The list of what animals have done for us is endless. Have we done enough in return?
In working with animals, I have at times, felt helpless to make amends for what the human species has taken from them without thought, yet I don’t really run across animals who are angry or upset about this. Animals of all species love us, want the best for us, and continue to give to us.
“We are family,” they tell me. “You are our brothers and sisters, and we want to bring you back into the fold.”
I am always looking for ways to say thank you to the animals, for new ways to give them respect. The animals let me know that “thank you” is in the doing, the way of living, not in the saying. They want us to remember, to acknowledge that we are all connected, that we are part of a large family that includes all of life. When we live as if we are part of the whole and not the whole itself, we are in a place of honoring and respect, a space of namaste, that beautiful Sanskrit word that means, “I honor the god within you.” This honoring is a small shift in consciousness that could have a huge effect on this planet. It is a shift that reaffirms life and gives respect to all beings, honoring the space we each occupy in the great “cosmic herd” we live in.
It is so interesting to me that when asked what we can do to thank and respect the animals, they ask for the whole and not for the individual. The animals feel in the depth of their beings the energy that binds us all together and weaves the tapestry that we call life. It is not difficult to make this small shift in consciousness. It requires no special equipment, no practice, no particular education, no exercise—all it requires is the desire to live in harmony and connection. Such a simple way to change the world.