Troublesome Kids!

We all have those days where nothing can seem to go right.  We might wake up late and miss our ride to school, then realize we forgot our gym clothes at home, then sit down in class and remember we have homework due.   But hey, it happens to all of us.  I had one such week where I was really starting to get worn down and worn out, accomplishing nothing, like a bald tire trying to get traction on the ice.  I had two tests that week, on top of a paper to write, along with trying to decide what classes I would take the next semester.  And in the midst of the frustration and hurry to accomplish all of these things, my computer died (To make a long story short, never plug the phone end of an iphone charger into your USB port while the charger is plugged into the wall).  Eventually, I managed to get my computer fixed, and even accomplished those tasks on time with reasonable success.   But even after getting everything done, I still felt like I was out of gas, and unable to go any further.  I fought this exhaustion over the weekend, but come Monday I realized I needed to find a way to recharge myself.  Luckily, a lone thought popped into my mind almost immediately: Kids!

Now, before anyone starts jumping to any conclusion, I need to let you know that any use of the term “kids” in this blog will always refer to young, obnoxious, loud, playful, and smelly . . . goats.  Over the past 9 years here in Kansas, I have helped my parents raise them along with a few other animals on our farm.  However, spending this year away from home at college greatly reduced my daily time spent with these lovable animals.  So in order to solve this problem, a few teammates (namely Taylor and Bethany) joined me on the 20-minute drive to Olsburg to see the creatures.  As we pulled into the driveway, we could see them frolicking around the pens as their mother’s kept a watchful eye.  We soon joined the goats in the pen, and our tiredness immediately left. Anyone who even has only limited goat experience will know how much fun we had with the little, ornery critters.  They jumped about, butted one another, and even found joy tasting our shirts as we held them.  We were able to play with them for at least an hour until they finally became tired and went to find their mothers’ in our yard.

As the gang and I made out way back to town, I realized how better I felt after spending time with those kids.  It was amazing to see how an hour with that infinite positivity refilled my glass and refreshed my mind.  And sometimes, that boost is just what we need to get through a difficult time.  Whenever we get in a crunch, it is easy for us to try and keep grinding through the mess, but more often than not, a quick break and refresher can do wonders.  But whether it is with your family, friends, or “kids,” is up to you.