Milking Day

"It's a gift. Either you got it or you don't." Mr. Lankford was talking about homesteading. I could feel my throat tighten up. "What if I don't have it?" my mind was asking itself. I was there to milk a cow for the first time and I was really nervous that I couldn't do it. Mr. Lankford didn't know I was apprehensive about the cow recognizing me as an imposter and kicking me off the stool.

He's been teaching me everything from how to make butter to how to stop a dog from sucking eggs. Now I am ready to go to the source for my butter making. Two years on the farm and I feel the time has come to consider owning our own cow.

As he calls Rosie in and sits down to get started, I'm thinking, "Oh good. He's doing to do it." But has luck would have it he gets up and says, "You try." He didn't say a word as I pulled and tugged and nothing came out. Finally! I hear the milk hit the pail and I almost cried! "You're doing good," he says and I finally relax. I could feel my back aching because I had not set my stool close enough to the cow. But as I got more comfortable, so did Rosie. I didn't get a glassful that first day. But I got something: the gumption to go back day after day and keep trying. So I'm milking, the kids are milking and Mr. Lankford and Rosie remain very patient.