I really, honestly planned not to post until I got home on Sunday night, but I have something really sad that I need to tell you and I figure it’s better to get it over with. There’s no good or easy way to tell you this: we lost our sweet, tiny lamb today.
Rushworth had been growing and thriving and becoming such a big little lamb that this caught me, and Maggie, and I suspect all of you, completely by surprise. We have all invested so much in Tiny, so many emotions, so many hopes, so many prayers, and I honestly can’t bear the thought of you all reading this. I am just more sorry than you can know.
Here is what I need to say. Rushworth came into this world without much chance of surviving for even a day. I tried to be brutally honest about his chances, because I was quite sure he would be gone by morning. Please don’t misunderstand me- I did every single thing I know how to do to save his life, but everything I know isn’t always enough to save a dying lamb. The time we have had with Rush- every single moment of his short life- was a gift. Every single moment.
It is a cruel fact of life that the animals that have my heart, the ones that I know and am closest to, tend to be the broken ones. Rushworth survived so many things. Because I know you will be curious, the vet suspects that it was heat exhaustion and dehydration that took his life. It is a another cruel fact of life that terrible things tend to happen when I leave the farm. Lucy was hit by a car while I was in Fort Worth and I was incredibly anxious about leaving the farm for six days to attend the Squam Arts Workshop. Not because I think the farm can’t survive without me, but because I hate for anyone but me to feel the terrible weight of responsibility when things do go wrong. I want to be very clear about one thing: my absence from the farm today had nothing to do with Tiny’s death today. There was nothing that I could have done that Maggie didn’t do to save his life. Not one thing. Maggie would have moved heaven and earth to save that lamb, and she is hurting right now something fierce.
There’s a quote that’s sometimes attributed to Dr. Suess that I try to remember at times like these. “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” So I’m asking you, please, don’t cry because we lost him; smile because we knew him. How lucky we were to have known him.
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Ah ~ my heart breaks for you all! Poor, sweet lamb. Nature can be cruel. Sending you comfort and peaceful thoughts.
Oh no. Rushworth! I’m so, so sorry to hear this!
Poor dear, sweet little Tiny. We’ll all miss him!
Oh, goodness, so devastating! Hugs to you and all.
I’m sorry for your loss; anyone who reads your blog knows how much all of you love the farm animals.
He graced us for a while, and we are better for having known him. Thank you, Rushworth.
I’m so sorry—please give yourself a hug from me Maggie and Susan.
Oh that sucks. I am so sorry to hear it but glad that you shared with us. And thank you for giving us the suspected reason. This week has been brutally hot and oppressively humid.
Damn, my heart breaks for you and Maggie. For sweet little Rushworth and his mama.
I’m so incredibly lucky to have gotten to spend time with Rushworth…through the rough patch and through some of the better times too. Watching him grow and change by tiny little bits every day was like watching a miracle right before my eyes.
Thanks for letting us all smile because he happened!
Maggie, I’m so sorry – if you need or want to talk call me
.
Susie, thanks for letting us tag along on your coat tails through all of it…you are such a great teacher of lessons in life!
Oh Susan – my heart is aching for you. Rushworth/Tiny was a very lucky little lamb to have had you guys loving and taking care of him during his life.
Oh, that’s heartbreaking news. I hope the rest of the flock is doing well. What do we need to do to get you an air-conditioned barn?
Goodbye, Tiny Man. Thanks for stopping with us for a while.
Poor Tiny
He had SUCH a good life with you guys on the farm. I’m focusing on that. He had a joyful, well-loved, if short, life. Huge hugs to all of you, and Catalina.
I’ll try to smile through my tears. Damn. I loved the little guy.
Oh I am so very sorry. But I’m so glad that I got to know him a bit, and even more grateful that he had such good shepherds. I know the care, prayers, and love you and Maggie invested in his magical little self. Even though his life was brief, his light shined brightly and he brought more smiles tp all of us than many people have. I know you both must just be devastated but you should have no feelings of responsibility for the outcome. Without the dedication of both of you, we would have lost him long ago. Thank you for letting us know
I’m sitting at dinner with my son and tearing up. I am SO sorry for your loss. I’ve nothing to say that won’t sound lame or hasn’t been said already. Thanks for your honesty and know that I’m grieving with you.
Rest in peace, little lamb.
Thanks for sharing his short life with us.
My heart aches for both of you. (((Big Hugs))) Maggie. I feel so blessed to have met him. He has inspired me in so many ways. He did so very much in such a short time. Thanks for sharing him with us.
My heart aches for you. But Tiny had a wonderful albeit short life because he was loved and cared for by you and Maggie.
He will be missed
So sorry to hear this. Such a cutie. Hugs to you and everyone who took care of him.
So so so very sad. Thanks for letting us know… so awful.
I’m so sorry to hear the news. Poor little guy. Your hearts are breaking, and to be so far away. I feel for you, I really do. I was so hoping he’d make it against all odds. Thank you for sharing the news, no matter how hard. It’s the bittersweet that makes it real, and I wouldn’t want you sugarcoat the parts that aren’t as beautiful.
A short but glorious life that touched so many people. Sweet boy. Sleep with the angels.
I am so sorry, these are the ones that hurt so very much, he was a little sweet lamb I won’t forget. Thinking of you and Maggie, you gave Rushworth much love and tender care. Sending you all love and peace, Benne
One of the sad truths about shepherding is that the ones who have troubles, who we have to work day and night to keep alive, who we spend our time with, who notice us when we come to the barn and look on us with trusting eyes, the ones we lose our hearts to are also the ones we are the most likely to lose. And I can’t say, after nearly 30 years of being a shepherd, that it ever gets easier- only familiar–like that toothache you have had before but is no less painful this time around. He had a good life while he was here and graced our hearts with hope. Hugs to both you and Maggie.(I have found that the best way for me was to mourn for those you’ve lost but not so that it interferes with your ability to take care of those who live,and still need you).
In his short life he touched many people’s lives. I am sorry for your loss. He is with the angels now.
My heart grieves for the two of you who imbued in that sweetheart of a lamb such strength to survive all the odds against him for as long as he did. You have taught us that there is sweetness along with the sorrow. May you take comfort in knowing how much he was loved by you and us all and we thank you for the opportunity to have had him for the time we did.
Maggie and Susan, Thank you for sharing the quote by Dr. Seuss, I will smile because we knew him. Thanks to your photos, and posts about our sweet little lamb.
I thought he was going to continue to survive, forgetting really how frail he was. It was an amazing run and I am sure the care and treatment of our little hero taught you more about the care of the underweight or premature lambs. He did serve a purpose, he taught us all something. Thanks for letting us know, I will keep him in my prayers tonight.
Hugs to you and Maggie – It’s got to be hard. We’ll miss Rushworth.
But I will smile as best I can – for him, and for you two and your heroic efforts.
thank you for visiting us wee Tiny… I’m blessed to have gotten to snorgle you!
Susie and Maggie… you were so amazing with that little guy… he couldn’t possibly have gotten more love. *hugs to both of you*
So sorry. Thanks for sharing his little precious life with us.
Oh, I’m so sorry. Thank you for letting us fall in love with Rushworth from his photos. Hugs to you and everyone at the farm.
I’m so sad and sorry for your loss. We all loved Tiny and he was such an inspiration. I love the Dr. Seuss quote, and we’re all blessed that Tiny was in our lives, even for just a little. Hang in there.
…my heart is broken…but maybe your little Rush, that I was pretending was my little Rush’s replacement, is now with my little Rush…my little brown one…your little white one…my little poodle…your little lamb…both named Rush…both stole hearts…mine is broken…sending hugs to yours…ooooooxxx
My heart broke when I read this. I have been following your blog for about two months and I so enjoy it. I loved reading about the short life of Rushworth and the joy he gave to everyone. I will miss him…
Oh Tiny! I’m so sad for everyone! Much Love, Susie. Please don’t feel guilty for not being home!
And Maggie, we all know that you loved that lamb so much. So please don’t beat yourself up, either.
*sniffle sniffle* loves to you and Maggie…there is no doubt in my mind that everything that could be done was. Much love, and thank you for sharing your farm and animals with us…even the hard parts.
So sorry to hear. Prayers for you and everyone on the farm. We loved him very much, even from afar.
Ahhh. Think about how much love he knew in his short life. Bless the shepherds.
NOOOOOOOOO! The moment I saw your tweet I started chanting ‘pleasedon’tbeMrTinypleasedon’tbeMrTiny’
I am so sorry about Rush. his little life touched a lot of big lives and we are all better for it.
oh my
i have tears in my eyes welling up
and i am in total agreement with the quote
he had a beautiful life
all be it
tiny
r.i.p. rushworth
you KNOW you were loved my SO very many
and
your sweetness will live on
so sorry for you susan and maggie
beaming you both lots of love
hugs included.
xoxo
rona and kehli the dog
Such a bonny wee lad he was. I’ll miss him, but I’m so glad to have seen him. Big hugs to you and to Maggie.
Such sad news… What a sweet little thing he was. We’re really going to miss him, everyone loved him so.
Oh that’s so sad
((((… Poor Tiny.I loved him tooo…
A big hug to Maggie and you…
Annette
Hard to do, hard to take. Good for you for facing the sad task. Tenderly written. Bless the little lamb. Here with you.
With your gift of writing/blogging I came to fall madly in love with Rushworth. My heart is so sad and tears are rolling down my cheeks. I am so sorry for your loss.
I am so sorry. Hugs to you all. I loved Tiny. It was a pleasure to know him. Even if it was through pictures.
Thank you so much for sharing him with us for the short time that you had him. We all came to fall in love with him, and we all feel incredibly sad for your loss.
Oh no, as soon as I saw the title in my blog reader, I knew!
How very very sad!
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