4 minute read
Sharing Baby Goats with Brown County Health & Living
~story and photos by Paige Langenderfer
One of the greatest joys of owning a small farm is getting the chance to share our animals with the community.
Our farm has 40 sheep, 30 goats, 3 donkeys, 50 chickens, 3 emus, 2 dogs, and 6 cats.
Winter is my favorite time of year because it is when all of the babies are born.
Everybody loves baby animals. They are good for the soul.
In February I had the opportunity to take two baby goats to the Brown County Health and Living Community in Nashville for a visit.
The experience itself was emotional, but it also took me back to the two years before mom died. She was very sick and spent nearly every day in an assisted living facility much like this one.
My daughter Quincy had just turned one when my mom died, so her entire first year was spent visiting places like this. I remember the other patients and staff members would be so excited when Quincy and I got there every day to visit mom.
And I remember my heart being torn between spending enough time with my mom and trying to decide if it was healthy for my tiny baby to be there. I do think it is why Quincy’s soul is so kind and compassionate, even though she doesn’t remember.
So, my day at the Brown County Health and Living Community was emotional before I even arrived.
As soon as I walked in the door, the staff ran over to me, squealing with excitement.
Ms. Althea grabbed one of the baby goats and showed me the way to the patient activity room. As we turned into the room, I could hear the gasps and shrieks of joy. There were about a dozen residents patiently waiting in wheelchairs.
The moment the goats entered the room, the faces of the residents changed from tired to childlike. They began chatting excitedly to each other about who would get to hold the babies first.
As I leaned down to place a baby on their lap, each resident nervously extended their arms, slightly fearful they might hurt the baby, but also unable to hide their absolute glee at the same time.
Some of them sang to the babies, others spoke lovingly. Their bodies, tight and full of pain, melted into deep calm breaths as they gently brushed the baby goats’ hair with their fingers.
Several residents proudly told me about their childhood experiences growing up on a farm. As a farm kid myself, I loved hearing about their chores and mishaps. It is a lifestyle that most kids today do not get to experience, and I am finding fewer and fewer people who can relate to those farm-specific memories.
After each resident held the babies for a few minutes, Ms. Althea led me down the hall to greet patients who had been unable to leave their rooms.
I cannot adequately describe the change in their eyes as soon as they saw the baby goats. It was like a rebirth, if even just for a few seconds. I told them a bit about the animals and our farm and then we sat in silence that was louder than a stadium full of people cheering. They often closed their eyes and leaned their heads gently on the babies.
What were they feeling? What were they thinking? What were they telling the goats in the silence?
Several people asked how I kept the babies still and calm. I think animals are so much more perceptive than people. They melted with the experience too, falling asleep with nearly every resident.
My absolute favorite part of the day came in the Memory Care Unit. One resident was lovingly holding a baby doll when we walked in. She looked up and saw the baby goats and immediately placed her baby on the table and extended her arms. She never spoke a word, but her face said it all.
I will never forget my day at the Brown County Health and Living Community, and I have already talked to Ms. Althea about returning when our miniature donkey has her baby this summer.
The Langenderfer girls Quincy, age eight, and Amelia, age six.
