Good times don’t last forever. Thankfully, neither do bad times. The moments in life that make our hearts bloom are often the small moments in-between. We must look for them and cherish them. I’ve learned that life is made up of a long stretch of grey cement. Not necessarily boring, but mundane. Especially farming. Very routine. Milk the cows. Feed the cows. Plow the fields. Feed the calves. Haul the manure. Pay the bills. And repeat.
It is important to hit the pause button from time to time. I know this time of year as the days inch shorter, that seems pretty impossible. But still, I encourage you to look up. From your phone. From your tractor seat. From whatever you’re doing. Find joy in the simple things. The sunrise. The fall foliage. A bountiful harvest. A promising heifer calf. Mom’s beef and noodle casserole for dinner. The young generation lending a helping hand.
My late father used to say very little is needed to make for a happy life. It is so easy to be on autopilot that we forget to look up and see the happy life that God has created.
Last month, I wasn’t feeling well. Life seems hard. But I paused and looked up and out my farmhouse window and smiled. My 16-year-old daughter, Cassie had risen early that morning to attend a National Honor Society meeting. Then onto school and home to have a snack and finish homework. She then called her father, saying she would go ahead and finish planting the winter wheat. When she was done and without complaining, she helped him finish high-moisture corn, going way past dark.
Meanwhile, that same evening, my youngest son, Jacob, age 12, had an away football game that nobody could go to because of the busyness of the season and his mother not feeling well. His team lost 0-32 on the road. After the game, a friend dropped Jacob off at home and he came inside sweaty, tired and hungry. Not a good combination. While I worried about his attitude, after he showered, Jacob illustrated signs of maturity. He said, “Well mom, you gotta take the losses with the wins,” as he iced his bloody and swollen knee.
Today I look outside my farmhouse window and see the very same field my daughter planted and it is green and looking promising.
And the young boy of mine that is showing signs of maturity, has been promoted to driving a grain cart during corn harvest.
Pause. Look up. Doing both of those from time to time will reassure you that life is indeed good. When you’re on autopilot and life seems to be exhausting, frustrating and hard, I promise you if you look up, you will be reminded of all the wonderful moments that make life worthwhile.
