Recently I started binging the new PBS adaptation of James Herriott’s beloved book, All Creatures Great and Small. For those unfamiliar, Herriott was a British veterinary surgeon who after 50 years of practice wrote a series of books based on his vet experiences, that included, All Things Bright and Beautiful (1974) All Things Wise and Wonderful (1977) and The Lord God Made Them All (1981).
At the individual times of their publications all Herriott’s books became worldwide bestsellers for the simple reason that they combined two essential elements of storytelling---animals and triumphs of the human spirit.
My personal connection to these books came about through my mother, Alice Bisset. She was a farm-raised, country girl who grew up to become a citified businesswoman. By the time I was old enough to be aware, my mother was working as a saleperson at The Lily Chocolate Shop in the University Plaza. In a matter of years, she was hired as an executive assistant at M&T Bank and ultimately moved on to become Director of Property Management for Bank of New York, which later became Key Bank.
I detail my mother’s career to illustrate the level of professional success she achieved and, from my child’s perspective, what truly fulfilled her life. Definitely a long way from the farm fields of Wyoming County! That’s why I was surprised when she became a devoted fan of James Herriott’s books.
The thing is, the good doctor’s stores are folksy tales about rural life among farmers and townspeople and their animals.—-the calves he treated for pneumonia, surgeries he performed on dogs and cats, care he provided for horses for issues from twisted guts to lame feet. Nothing in these books related to corporate budgets, spreadsheet reports, or building development plans, which was the world where my mother lived and breathed. Yet any year when a James Herriott book published, she looked forward to finding it wrapped beneath the Christmas Tree.
Then, one night, after I had binge watched several “All Creatures” episodes, the light of wisdom dawned. While it had always appeared that my mother had gladly turned from her farm duties to climbing the corporate ladder, whenever she read Dr. Herriott’s books, she was once again a kid again. Through the British vet’s storytelling, she was transported back to a time when her life was about the joys and challenges of working with her father and brothers on their family farm. Memories that clearly made her happy.
So this Mother’s Day, as I celebrate within the love of my children and grandchildren, I will also take heart in this newly acquired wisdom about the woman who gave birth to me. Despite the fact that she has been gone for more than 20 years, watching Dr. Herriott’s stories has allowed me a greater understanding of her life and how it played out——and provided me a renewed connection to my mom.