After pulling a breach calf with my father, we sat there in the tall pasture grass just watching the heard grazing, and keeping an eye on the calf we just pulled. Though I couldn’t help but look over at you out of my peripheral vision. You moved so gracefully through the tall grass. The palms of your hands grazing the tops of the seed heads.

“When you look at the calf,” Hearing my dad begin to speak, I look back to the calf he was referring to. It was still wet from being just born. It’s mother already trying to lick it dry. “What do you see?”

As soon as the question was asked, I didn’t hesitate to answer. “I see a life I got to feed and defend,” Looking over at my father I let out a sigh. “Until it grows up and feeds me.”

I see my father smile slightly. “That’s what a cowboy should see.” He then looks to the ground in thought. “But a cattleman sees a two hundred ninety three dollar investment worth eleven thousand dollars in seven months.” He looks back up at the cattle. “Whether it feeds anyone or not.”

“I wish I saw it different dad.” I tell him with a little bit of regret. I knew that I should think more like a cattleman but, I can’t just see what I do like a business, but of a way of life.

“Well, we see it the way we see it son.” Placing his hand on my shoulder, his firm grip let me know he was proud of me as he got up and began to walk back to the truck. Picking up the Calving Jack on his way.

Looking back over at you, I get off the ground, and dust my self off before making my way over to you.