Devotional

I was talking with my mom on the phone yesterday. They were camping somewhere in the mountains of Colorado. Cell phones have changed our lives to a depth that I don't think anyone realizes, yet.
She said that my brother and sister-in-law are considering getting chickens. They are big on eating healthy and since we moved to Arkansas are having trouble finding local eggs and milk. Chickens are one big step, but they are manageable for many people. Milk animals, however, are a whole different dimension.

"Milk goats take a lot of devotion," I said, and the word got stuck in my brain. It is the perfect word to describe the relationship between dairy animals and their humans.

From Merriam Webster -

Devotion

Main Entry: de·vo·tion

Pronunciation: \di-ˈvō-shən, dē-\

Function: noun

Date: 13th century

1 a : religious fervor : piety b : an act of prayer or private worship —usually used in plural c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation

2 a : the act of devoting b : the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal

If you choose to have a dairy animal, you will devote time daily to milking, feeding and watering them. In order to get milk, the times must be on a regular schedule. Lack of routine creates stress and stressed animals don't milk.

Where other people have their daily devotional of reading, yoga, meditation or breathing - mine is milking. The schedule changes with the seasons, an homage to nature, but it is daily, 365 days a year. Right now I milk at 7 am and 7 pm, with little variation. This is a peaceful, relaxing, routine time for both me and the goats. It is a physical, mind-free routine that is centering and grounding.