Every year, the CooperRiis barn for one night transforms into a manger in Bethlehem. This year, the community’s annual live nativity scene commemorated the welcoming of not one, but three babies into its fold.
On the morning of Dec. 20,  four unexpected visitors arrived at the barn: two members from the humane society bearing two newly born goats in need of mother’s milk. Tragically, the babies were the only survivors of a litter of four, born to a mother who was unable to feed them.
Bridget, CooperRiis’s resident mother and dairy goat, was called upon with hopes that she might adopt the newborns as her own, or at the very least, be able to produce milk for bottle-feeding to give them a chance at survival.
With bated breath, the animal crew and humane society members slowly introduced the young babes to Bridget, praying she might take to them. It is always a possibility that a mother might reject babies whom are not her own and bottle-feeding newborns would have been too great a strain on the resources of a very busy animal crew. Hope was rewarded as Bridget not only allowed the baby goats to nurse from her, but immediately claimed them as her own, filling them with milk as well as a mother’s love. The young babes continue to grow and thrive to this day.
The wee goatlings, having arrived on such an auspicious day of holiday celebration, were christened Frankincense and Myrrh in honor of the evening’s nativity scene. The joy of a successful, loving embrace of two tiny babes in dire need, so warmly welcomed into the CooperRiis community – animal and human alike – symbolized the third gift of Nativity lore… pure gold.
These three gifts from the wise women of the Humane Society and Mother Bridget have been most gratefully and enthusiastically received. And our community is proud to be able to say, “We do have room at the inn.”
-article submitted
by Brittany Dean