“Poor mamas! After a week in lockdown, and still no babies”, I said as I pulled up to the sheep version of a “maternity ward” on Thanksgiving morning. The sheep wanted their breakfast, but even more than food, they wanted to be out with their flock-mates who they could see grazing across the pond. “Girls, I know you don’t understand, but trust me, separating you from your friends and family is for your own good.”
Or is it?
Well, that depends on who you ask. In my opinion, the health and safety of both mom and baby is paramount. In my husband’s opinion, letting sheep live their lives as “natural” sheep, free to graze and lamb on their own is paramount.
So who is right?
Well, we both are.
His points are very valid. It is stressful on the sheep to not be allowed to function as part of the flock. Yes, they could have trouble lambing, because there are risks to both mom and baby during delivery, but in his opinion, complications are rare, so you give them their freedom, and take your chances.
And then there is me.
My philosophy is, why not just have the sheep in a safe, dry, secure area, so that if there are problems, they can get help quickly, and mom and baby are protected from any numerous situations that could jeopardize their safety. What is a little added stress when the trade off is security?
Our opposing philosophies boil down to, safety versus freedom.
Sound familiar?
The moral of this story is my husband and I both have valid points. I respect his opinion, but his choice is not the right choice for me. God created us as individuals and we have different personalities. We have each had different experiences in life that shape our opinions. We are just” hardwired” differently.
So as we encounter those who have different philosophies regarding “safety versus freedom”, realize that we each have strong opinions, but there are valid points on both sides. We can agree to disagree, but let’s remember that we both have valid arguments supporting out points of view.