You know what it’s like to put in weeks or months of hard work into a project, and then when it’s over, you can exhale. There’s a sense of accomplishment, a sense of relief, and a sense of peace, regardless of the outcome of your endeavor.
You also probably remember having those same feelings as a kid. There was that big recital. That science fair. That class project that was worth a huge grade. The hard-earned pursuit and attainment of your driver’s license.
With those feelings in mind, it won’t be hard for you to relate to Mitchell Miner, a 15-year-old from Iowa who is finally resting after putting in some heavy-duty work. He recently entered a dairy cattle show and competition at the Iowa State Fair with his heifer, Audri.
For two months, Mitchell prepared Audri for the show and took care of her needs. He bathed her, groomed her, fed her, and walked her without missing a beat in all that time leading up to the show. On the day of, he woke up at 3:00 in the morning to get her ready.
The duo wound up in fifth place out of seven, but it was finally time to wrap up their hard work. They crashed. Mitchell’s father Jeremy snapped a few photos of Audri and Mitchell napping in a stall and posted one of them on Facebook. It was so sweet that it went viral!
Watch the video to hear more about the viral pic. According to The Des Moines Register, Mitchell’s mom Laura arranged for the teen to care for Audri for the summer. The parents wanted their children to get a taste of the farm life they grew up loving so they borrow animals during the summer season and return them in the fall.
The Miners believe this photo struck a chord with people because it shows a connection between kids and animals. As for Mitchell, he enjoyed his well-deserved nap and his time with Audri. He told The Register this about Audri:
“She likes to lay down quite a bit. I don’t really understand the bond with my animal either. She just enjoys my company.”
Mitchell gets to hang onto a cool memory from this summer with Audri, and since animals have memories, she probably will too! What is also remarkable is how this teen and his heifer made such a dynamic duo through responsibility and hard work.
Mitchell’s parents want to continue to expose their children to these types of experiences, and judging from the impression Mitchell and Audri made on one another, we don’t forsee any objections. Gotta love the parents for that. Dad Jeremy had this to say:
“We learned a lot from the farm. We have those values instilled in us and we are trying to do what we can to preserve that.”
What do you think of the photo of this sleepy team? Did you ever care for an animal like Audri during your childhood? What did you gain from the experience?