Stoic Alpacas

Alpacas, like all prey animals, endure pain with great stoicism. In the wild, showing weakness can be dangerous; survival depends on staying with the herd and pretending that nothing is wrong. Alpacas are domesticated livestock, but they still display many of the characteristics of their wild ancestors.

I understand stoicsm. I was born and raised in post-war Germany, a child growing up in a defeated nation—shamed before the world. Life was very hard for most families struggling to survive in a country that still bore evidence of war. There was little tolerance for complaints and displays of weakness of any kind. You were expected, from a very young age, to stoically accept whatever misfortunes and hardships came your way.

I will need to draw on my reserves of stoicism in the next few weeks. Call me crazy...but I agreed to go on an extended hiking trip with my younger sister, Karin. We plan to hike from her home in Iserlohn, Germany, to Neumagen, the Mosel village where we were born. It will take us about two weeks.

David agreed to take care of the alpacas during my absence. I will think of them—my husband and my stoic alpacas—when things get tough on the trail. I will know better than to whine to my sister.

"You should never complain to Mama if you're hurt," one of Karin's four children, Jonas, warned me. "Unless you have a broken arm or leg or your blood sprays all the way to the ceiling, she'll just get annoyed and say,' Don't worry, the body heals itself'," he continued to enlighten me.

I vow that not the tiniest sound of pain will escape my lips! Until my return...take care.