Earned, Established Trust

Their bodies relaxed.  Their spirits soared.

Earned, Established Trust

I looked out of my back window, just as I do every day, and began to count, one, two, . . ..  The numbers were not adding up!  Such is the case, often in the morning.  As a result, I wasn’t too worried and went about my business.  Until the sun had pushed its way across the sky for another couple of hours.

I drove back home just so I could check the count again, one, two, . . ..  It was the same result!  I began to worry and walk.  My walk took me all the way to the end of our pasture, to the very last gate, which was partially closed.  It should have been open, with a tie to hold it in place, so I pushed the gate open, walked into the next enclosure, and began to tie that gate, open, attaching it to the fence.

Once it was attached, I turned to greet the two missing steers.  They weren’t absent any longer.  The hulking steers stood near me waiting, even though they could have walked through the fully opened gate before I turned to say hello.  I reached forward.  They raised their heads up and down in response.  I answered with a small pivot to the right and a beckoning wave.  We began moving forward as they followed in line, continuing an established trust, and I smiled.

I smiled for a couple of reasons.  First, I was happy to know that my steers were well and could return to the herd.  Second, it has taken me a lifetime to really appreciate the power of earning and establishing trust.  In my younger years, my father told me that cows only understood two languages, “two-by four and cussing.”  In those days, I remember chasing errant cows across fields on foot and sometimes by truck.  My dad once bent the frame of his three-quarter ton ranch truck in pursuit of a marauding bull.  It was pretty crazy!  That was then.  This is now!

We continued parading together, north toward the watering trough.  I knew the steers would be thirsty and would want their morning drink.  As we neared in our approach, they sensed my intent, smelled the water and began to buck and run toward the water with joy.  They siphoned long streams of cool water upon their arrival.  Their bodies were relaxed.  Their spirits soared.

My spirit also soared, just to the west of where they stood drinking, as I opened the gate and latched it shut.  I looked back as I walked toward my house, just as I do every day, and began to count, one, two, . . ..  The numbers were adding up!  Such is the case, more often than not, when living life on the basis of earned, established trust.