You ever notice how often we say, “It could be worse”? I’ve been tossing that phrase around a lot this week while getting ready for lambing season—what I’ve jokingly started calling Lambageddon. The lambs aren’t due until the 20th, but between prepping the barn and staring at the weather forecast, I can feel the stress starting to creep in.
Take the weather, for example. They’re calling for -20°C on the very day the lambs are due. Now, that’s not exactly the kind of news you want to hear, right? Sure, it could be better—a nice, mild day would make everything easier. But hey, it could also be worse. I’ve seen colder Januaries, and at least we’re not dealing with wind chills so bad your face freezes before you even get to the barn.
Then there’s the snow. Yesterday, I had to clear paths through the drifts just to get to the barn and feed the rams. I’m not going to lie—I wasn’t thrilled about it. I mean, it would be better if I didn’t have to deal with snow at all. But you know what? It could be worse. I could be out there with a shovel instead of the equipment I’ve got. So, I just got on with it and counted my blessings.
And while I was clearing those paths, my mind wandered, like it always does. I started thinking about other farmers I know. It would be nice, I thought, to live farther south where snow isn’t even a problem. But then I thought about my buddy in central Ontario—now there’s a guy buried in snow. It could definitely be worse.
I guess this is just me trying to talk myself through the stress of what’s coming. Lambing is always a crazy time, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But that little reminder—it could be better, it could be worse—helps keep things in perspective.
We all have our challenges, don’t we? Life’s funny that way. No matter where you are or what you’re dealing with, it’s always a mix of better and worse. So why waste time worrying about it? That’s what I’m telling myself this week: just carry on, do your best, and try to crack a smile now and then. After all, things could always be worse—and they could always be better, too.
Farmer Rod