Pan

Pan is THE goat who started my love of goats…and the one who inspired the forward movement for Imagine Acres…

Back in a very cold March of 2015, a friend of mine called to tell me she needed help birthing a litter of goats because one wasn’t breathing and she was busy helping his very little sisters warm up after birth and nurse. I rushed the mile down the road to her farm and saw this less than one pound baby lying motionless in the hay. One of the other women had gotten him to breath but barely. My job was to warm him with a gentle blowdryer, stimulate his body by rubbing him gently with a towel and holding him against me. I remember the tears in my eyes, lump in my throat and leap of my heart as he began to move and nuzzle me. When he was able to stand, I had the honor of helping him latch on to his mama’s teat and take his first drink of her milk. I was humbled and honored to be part of this grand moment.

I connected to this little miracle of a fuzz ball in a deep and life-changing way. His trust in me, his mother’s trust in all of us helping her and the miracle of his growth beyond that is something my heart feels each and every time I look in his eyes. He has a purpose in this life and he had a drive to live and fulfill that. He is the gentle and kind leader of his 5 goat herd. When you connect with him, you see not only his sweetness but his gratitude for his life.

My lessons from Pan… life is a miracle, trust can be lifesaving, leadership can be gentle.