Coco - the quiet guide

The Story of Coco: A Testament to Choosing Life

Coco’s story is a powerful lesson in resilience, the courage of compassion, and the quiet ways a heart can heal. Her journey began not in our fields, but in the heart of a local farmer faced with a difficult choice.

His workers had found two newborn calves, born to different mothers but united by circumstance. Both were born with crippled legs, unable to stand and nurse. In the world of commercial farming, the path of least resistance would have been to let them go. But the farmer couldn't bring himself to do it.

He chose compassion, bottle-raising them for three months, hoping a solution would present itself. When he heard about our healing centre, he saw a chance for their lives to have a purpose beyond simple survival.

I confess, when he offered them to us, my first response was hesitation. My heart was fearful of the attachment and the inevitable pain, not knowing what their life expectancy might be. But their story had already begun, and it was a story of choosing life.

We said yes.

Coco and Oaties, as we named them, became siblings of the heart. They were a unit, a testament to the bonds forged in shared struggle. Oaties was the cuddly one, while Coco was the quiet observer. They were always together.

Just three months ago, that bond was shattered. We lost Oaties suddenly and tragically. Coco’s grief was deep and palpable. She withdrew from the world, and most especially from human touch.

In the quiet space left by his absence, something beautiful and unexpected began to unfold. Merlot, our gentle ox, began to graze closer to her. Monica, our Sovereign Soul, joined them. The loose friendship they once had as a group of four tightened into a new, fiercely protective family of three.

Today, Coco is a pillar of quiet strength.

While she no longer seeks human touch, the ritual of the bottle remains a sacred point of connection. It is a twice-daily affirmation of trust, and the sight of her running to receive it is a joy that fills the heart.

Coco is the living embodiment of the farmer's hope. She is a profound teacher for every guest who comes here feeling "broken."

She shows us that grief is a landscape to be moved through, not a place to stay.

She teaches us that a new family can form from the ashes of loss.

And through her quiet, powerful presence, she proves that kindness is not always about touching—sometimes, the deepest love is shown by simply allowing a being the space to heal on their own terms.