Call Me “A Winter Lamb”

I was born a fun-loving child. Well-liked in grade school and high school, I was class valedictorian and on the Queen’s court at our Senior prom. But things went amuck at home when I became a teenager. My evolving personality didn’t sit well with my parents. I became a carbon copy of my father…stubborn and assertive. I knew what I wanted, and often my opposing ideas set my parents in a tailspin. I write about this in detail in my memoir, In Search of Pink Flamingos. The chapter entitled “Teen Angst” told it all. “…My teen angst surged as I wrestled with my desire to please my parents while at the same time wanting to follow my own dreams.” …to become a nurse and join the Peace Corps in Africa.

My parents were infuriated with their only daughter, who refused to follow their plan for her to become a farmer’s wife. Nobody called me the black sheep of the family, but that is what I was. I never liked my self-inflicted label, but I didn’t fit the mold they had prepared for me. Our struggling relationship lasted until their death, 40 years later.

Last month, when I saw a light-hearted movie, The Sheep Detectives, it changed my thinking. This movie is one I plan to see many times. Not only are the talking sheep precious and funny, but the film’s metaphors are also numerous and poignant. I’ve attached the movie trailer below. I highly recommend this masterpiece; however, it may not be available worldwide. You may need a YouTube subscription to watch the entire video. In the movie, a “winter lamb” is a metaphor for being marginalized. Because these lambs are born during the harsh winter months, many are weak and struggle, as out-of-season births, cold stress, and smaller size make them vulnerable to abandonment or hypothermia. They are viewed as “different” and initially ostracized by the rest of the flock.

The Sheep Detectives explores themes of acceptance, proving that the “winter lamb” is just as valuable and capable as any other sheep. The movie serves as a poignant metaphor for an outsider or marginalized individual who struggles to find acceptance within the traditional flock simply for being who they are. The sheep character, Sebastian, is the real hero in the movie. He was a “Winter Lamb.”

Maybe I came out of the womb differently than my parents expected, but I excelled and became the person I wanted to be. I have been a leader and mentor to many along my life’s path.

I am more than proud to call myself by my new name, “A Winter Lamb.”

Do any of you know a Winter Lamb? All comments are welcome.

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7 thoughts on “Call Me “A Winter Lamb””

    1. hello Susan, thank you for commenting. I hope you will get to see the movie. It is priceless. I may give it more weight since I’m a farmer’s daughter, but it is so endearing.

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