Credit: Unsplash
Ben Jackson, a farmer from New South Wales, couldn’t attend his aunt’s funeral in Brisbane due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Determined to express his love and pay tribute to his aunt in a unique way, he decided to enlist the help of his sheep.
Jackson spread grain in his pasture in the shape of a heart, and as he released the sheep, they naturally formed a heart-shaped configuration while grazing. Using a drone, he captured the entire heartfelt moment and shared the video with his relatives for the funeral, as well as posting it online where it quickly gained popularity.
Speaking to the BBC, Jackson expressed his feelings of helplessness at not being able to bid farewell to his aunt in person and mentioned, “There was no way I could get up there and see her, say cheerio, or go to the funeral.” He added, “So I felt hopeless, helpless – I didn’t really know what to do. But because I was doing a bit of feeding already, I just decided to do a massive heart in the ground, which in all earnest, pales in comparison to hers.”
An Australian farmer unable to attend his aunt’s funeral because of pandemic restrictions has paid his respects by arranging dozens of sheep in the shape of a love heart. https://t.co/Zww0JzIVLR
— ABC News (@ABC) August 26, 2021
During the funeral, the video was played with the accompaniment of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” a song cherished by his late aunt. Reflecting on the emotional moment, Jackson shared, “It was one of her all-time favourite songs and… when I saw it like that, I’ll be the first to admit that it was like I had chopped a tonne of onions. It was pretty emotional.”
Furthermore, Jackson mentioned that his aunt would have been delighted to see the overwhelming response the sheep heart received, both online and on Australian television. He added, “She would be proud as punch to see so many people smiling and enjoying the heart I’ve made for her. It’s just love. Love’s sensational.”
