Farewell by the Sea
- Denise Bertram
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
Today I want to share with you a story that touched me deeply and made me incredibly sad - a story that I think is worth telling. It is the story of two sheep who lived by the sea on the Isle of Skye in Scotland .
We were lucky enough to rent a beautiful house right on a "loch" on the Isle of Skye . Every morning when I looked out of the window, the first thing I saw was the sparkling water - and two sheep grazing peacefully on the meadow by the shore. The scenery was like a painting, and the two animals blended harmoniously into the picture.
Fascinated by their calmness and their close bond, I just had to photograph them. Day after day they came back, sometimes a little closer, sometimes a little further away, but always together. Even though we humans often tend to attribute our own feelings to animals, it was obvious: these two were very close, perhaps as best friends or even as life partners.
On the fourth day, as we were returning from an extensive photography tour, we noticed a police car in the distance on the road near our driveway. As we got closer, we saw a visibly shocked woman standing next to a badly damaged car. It was clear that she had been in an accident - and when I realized that a sheep was apparently involved, everything inside me tightened up.
The next morning we were about to leave. I felt a sense of unease as I thought about what I might see further up the road. And then, as we approached the scene of the accident, my worst fears came true: there, on the meadow by the side of the road, was one of "our" two sheep lying dead in the grass. Right next to it was the other one, bleating loudly, as if it was calling its friend, as if it couldn't believe that it was now alone...
This sight almost broke my heart. Death is a constant companion in life, we all know that. But seeing the suffering of an animal mourning the loss of its beloved companion was almost unbearable and affected me deeply.
Many people probably underestimate how strongly animals can feel. But anyone who has ever seen a grieving animal knows that they too feel love, loss, joy and pain. Sheep in particular build deep bonds that often last a lifetime. They feel the absence of their companions just as intensely as we humans do. Their pain is real, their grief tangible.
And so my thoughts are often on the Isle of Skye, with a sheep that is grieving and now has to live its life alone by the sea.
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