I´ve been missing in action, or rather
in inaction, since
July when I was struck down and brought to a standstill, or rather a
lie still, by a particularly vicious bout of sciatica. At first I
resigned myself to lying around on the lawn alternating between
reading and enjoying the garden but after a while reading began to
pall, the garden and the house began to look neglected, the laundry
remained unironed and I began to fret. It was around that time that I
came upon this poem...
ODE TO A COW
When life seems one too many for
you,
Go and look at a cow.
When the future’s black and the
outlook blue,
Go and look at a cow.
For she does nothing but eat her
food,
And sleep in the meadows entirely
nood,
Refusing to fret or worry or
brood
Because she doesn’t know how.
Whenever you’re feeling bothered
and sore,
Go and look at a cow.
When everything else is a fearful
bore,
Go and look at a cow.
Observe her gentle and placid air,
Her nonchalance and savoir faire,
Her absolute freedom from every
care,
Her imperturbable brow.
So when you’re at the end of your
wits,
Go and look at a cow.
Or when your nerves are frayed
to bits,
And wrinkles furrow your brow;
She’ll merely moo in her gentle
way,
Switching her rudder as if to say:
“Bother tomorrow! Let’s live
today!
Take the advice of a cow.”
Not only did I find this advice
a-moo-sing but I started thinking about it and realised that I was
worrying needlessly and spoiling a
lovely peaceful summer by feeling guilty about neglecting my chores.
I don´t mean that I took the advice literally and just lay there
chewing the cud and staring placidly into the distance but I finally
started to enjoy my enforced inactivity rather than brooding on it. I´ve
since had the first appointment with my osteopath and feel a little
better already. I´ve even managed to sit rather than recline for
long enough to swap my book for needle and thread.
So this page is my tribute to the wise old cow and also my thank you to Diane who
gave me her permission to use a photo of her beautiful Lilly with her
first calf, the equally beautiful Gabby. Hope she´ll forgive me for
altering that perfect photo ever so slightly to give it a painted look to go with
the background.
Try to
take that advice to heart. Enjoy what´s left of the summer and leave
the chores for a rainy day.
