My three resident pygmy goats from left to right Kate, Sophie, and Ginger

I decided they were pretty cute, so we took three little does and they have lived with us for a year and a half. My oldest goat (actually I don’t have a clue how old they are, but she looks older than the other two) has recently been ill. They normally get a little bit of grain and hay twice a day. When my older goat, Kate, wouldn’t eat any grain, I knew there was a problem. I thought I would give her some time and see what she looked like that evening after work. I returned home to find her the same, lethargic, standing funny, with absolutely no interest in food. She also had a dull lifeless look in her eyes. Anyone that has had animals can understand what I’m talking about. When they start to get to a certain age and go downhill health-wise, their eyes start to turn dull. I thought to myself. “Well what are my options?” I could take her to a vet in the morning if she made it through the night. The only problem is most vets in my area are not good at treating goats. They aren’t a mainstream enough animal to have many experienced goat vets. I also wondered if she was just old and it was coming her time. I make sure to see to all of their health needs so it shouldn’t be worms or anything like that. The other two were perfectly fine bouncing around. I looked at her and she looked back pitifully. Something finally struck me. The goats’ favorite thing in the whole world are…..animal crackers. They absolutely love them! They would walk through fire to get an animal cracker. I know animal crackers are not the pinnacle of nutrition, but they are a nice treat now and then for the little goat-ies, as I call them.

I went inside, got some crackers, and thought to myself…”if she doesn’t eat a cracker, I know I should be prepared for the worst.” I walked back to their pen and shook the cup full of crackers. My two younger goats shot their heads up and looked. Kate looked too! She at least looked interested, that’s a good sign. I walked over to her and she gently took a cracker from my hand. She chewed it up and looked at me for more. I gave her another along with the other two goats that were now beginning to give me some trouble because they hadn’t gotten one yet, how rude of me! Kate ate 4 crackers. I didn’t want to give her anymore for fear of making her sicker. I left the goat pen to take care of the other animals on the farm and then came back to check on her again. She was still standing funny, but looked a bit brighter. Maybe her eyes didn’t have a spark yet, but at least a faint glow was happening. She came over to me drank two great big gulps of water and proceeded to look for grain in their trough. Grain! She wants some grain! I ran off to get her a little grain. I came back and she ate a whole handful of grain when just 45 minutes ago she turned her nose at it. I was thrilled… She ate, looked better, and I went inside the house feeling a sense of relief. She has been fine since.

I mulled the entire situation over in my head. What on earth was that about? I mean, I know animal crackers don’t have a special healing power to take away all ills. If they do, I will eat a handful every day and become the most successful vet ever! No, I didn’t think that was it. So what DID cause the change then? It finally hit me. That goat absolutely loves animal crackers. She made the decision that her life was worth living because she might get the opportunity to eat another animal cracker. I know it sounds a bit ridiculous and far fetched and– yes–I do know in this article I am putting the meaning of life and animal crackers in the same story. Animal crackers are such a simple thing and THEY are the “meaning of life”? To Kate the goat, they just might be!

As I thought more on the subject, I realized it might relate to us more than we think. See…to us… we wouldn’t pick animal crackers as our meaning of life, but there are certian things in life that give us meaning. Maybe it is our family, or a son or daughter, maybe your job, home, pets, or even friends. Possibly it’s the opportunity to read a good book or eat some good food. Yes… each of us has our own animal crackers and those are the reason we feel purpose to our lives. In those things, we find fulfillment and contentment. Possibly on the days we feel overwhelmed by negativity or life in general, we need to remember the animal crackers in our lives. The things that give our eyes a bit of a sparkle or a smile across our face. When we remember those — things don’t seem quite so tough or terrible.

Leave it to me to write an article about animal crackers and giving meaning to our lives. I may not be the next Confucius or Dalai Lama, but at least I did take the chance to think. Something all to often in the haste that is our lives, we forget to do. Maybe after reading this you will take chance to think too. What are the animal crackers in your life?