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Fall Frolic and a Mama Llama

October 11, 2011

I’m a summer girl all the way. Sun, sandals, shorts. But there’s something magical about Fall that entrances me. The light is golden and bathes the world with sparkles. The delicious scent of leaves, and earth, and spices fill the air. Farms throw open their doors with festivals and hayrides and pumpkin picking, and everyone seems pumped and excited.

I had a perfect family weekend. We visited one of those farms with the boys and sampled it all. When we snuck into the haunted house and picked our way through the fog and flashing skeleton heads, my boys clung to me with fear (including my father for some reason) and screamed in terror. We boarded the tractor for a bumpy ride up the hill to the pumpkin patch, to pick the perfect size pumpkin and take pictures with the scarecrows. We sipped apple cider, munched on popcorn, and watched the kids bounce like crazy in the bouncy houses. We got lost in the corn maze and cheated when we got tired. The kids got their faces painted with bats and vampire fangs, and we breathed in the crisp fall air, feeling perfectly content for those few precious hours.

My favorite part was meeting the animals. There was a whole batch of baby pigs. Their fat little bodies, and funny snouts and tiny grunts converted me. Already a vegetarian, I was so glad I didn’t eat bacon! They were precious, and I got to hold them and learn a whole new side about animals.

But I fell in love with a llama named Trish. Holding herself high with dignity, she walked over to greet me, her beautiful, heavily lashed dark eyes staring into mine. The owner of the petting zoo explained Trish had been very depressed because she lost her mate two years ago, and the baby llama she had adopted in her care had just died. The owner said Trish was extremely loyal, loving, and now spent hours laying down, staring into space. She didn’t want to eat, or socialize. Her heart was broken.

And mine broke for her. I crooned to Trish and she did the most amazing thing. Mother to mother, we stared into one another’s eyes. And then she lowered her head and kissed me.

The owner said she was very careful of who she bestowed her kisses on. I had passed muster. I stroked her neck and said good-bye, and I have been thinking of her ever since. One mama to another.

Those are the moments I live for in motherhood. When we are all together, enjoying the moment, happy and carefree. I can look at my kids and their silliness and joy for life and feel my heart crack open to the world around me.

And I remind myself again, to take what is given, enjoy the gift, and hold it close to the heart. There are bad days and good days in parenthood, but oh, for those few joyous hours, everything is so worth it.

I wish everyone more of those moments as we move forward.

Happy Fall everyone!

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  1. Your post is so beautiful and I don’t want to take away from it. But since I read this post via email, I can only think about a llama at the petting farm that spits when you don’t give it food. After reading this I thought maybe when we went back next time (today), I would be friendly.
    Well, no it didn’t go that way….instead I grabbed my son turned my back and took off running!!! I just can’t get passed the spitting events we have endured in the past……..Maybe next time.
    Sounds like you have a good llama mama. 🙂

    • jennifer121 says:

      I laughed so hard at this and your efforts to bond with a llama who just wasn’t bondworthy!! I guess Trish was special, she was quite the lady, and I will def be careful and not expect all llamas to be like her!! So glad you liked the post.

  2. Elisa says:

    I LOVE this and I bet I would have liked visiting the animals the best too 🙂 Sooo fun. I “liked” your page on facebook.

    Have a wonderful day.
    http://ecwrites.blogspot.com/2011/09/only-50-more-days-until-golden-sky.html

    • jennifer121 says:

      Hi Elisa! I really liked your blog and thanks so much for stopping by and liking my facebook page – means a lot! I am a huge animal lover so that is always my favorite part. When I take the kids to the zoo, they are the ones pulling me away!

  3. Glad you had a great day. We used to go apple picking.

  4. unikorna says:

    Animals amaze me each day, some of them are capable of rare affection and loyalty…, I could never live without my pets. Your experience is so sweet and touching :).

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