My heart was racing. It was time for the 2am kid check in the barn, and this was the first year my mom had me go down by myself. I was still very young, but I was determined. Upon entering the barn, I immediately noticed one of the does giving birth. However, something was off. As I approached, I saw that she was struggling to expel a kid in breech position. Quickly rolling up my sleeves and going into the pen, I assessed the situation and got the kid out as fast as possible. With a breech birth, time is of the essence, and unfortunately the first kid was already dead when I got to the barn. I knew the job wasn't over yet, though. The doe started her second round of contractions, and I prepared to assist if necessary. The waterbag appeared along with two little white hooves but no nose. Minding the factor of time, I did not hesitate to gently pull on the kid during the next contraction and fortunately got it out in one shot. After clearing its nose with a towel, I put the kid in front of its mother to get cleaned up. Sitting back to watch for more kids or the placenta to pass, I knew even in my young age that this was something I could do for the rest of my life and be happy. Watching the miracle of life occur, making the best effort possible to help an animal, and just spending time in general with them was both a pleasure and a privilege that I got to have while growing up on our small farm. That first solo experience with kidding taught me two valuable lessons about myself and who I want to be. The first being that I love helping animals. If there was even a shot to save or help one, I wanted to take it or help someone less knowledgeable take it. If I could get a job as a vet, animal nutritionist, or something of that sort, I knew would be forever content. The second thing I learned was that my favorite animal is a goat. Now, you might be wondering why it wasn't already a goat before this incident since I had grown up with them. The truth is, I always wanted horses, but we could never afford to have one. Being so caught up in what I didn't have, I don't think I appreciated or cared enough about what I did have. However, that moment with the kidding brought a new level of connection and appreciation for the species, and ever since I have been 100% team goat as my favorite animal. All in all, spending time with and helping animals (goats in particular) is something I love and want to continue to do for the rest of my life. All of the experiences I've had growing up on my family's farm have played into this love, but that first time assisting the birth on my own and experiencing the circle of life first hand was what sealed the deal for me.