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| Christmas 2014: 4 generations: Grandpa, Dad, my brother, my niece. |
I am blessed. God has
blessed me with a great father. I am who
I am because of two really good parents, but this week I am going to blog about
my dad. My father is the only son, with
five sisters. My grandfather is the only son, and my brother is the only
son. We have a long line of women in my
family that have rose to the occasion to be active members on the farm. My aunts were tractor drivers, cow milkers,
calf feeders, chicken raisers, manure pitchers, and hog farmers. They knew the value of hard work and did it
with strength and grace. My sisters and I followed in their footsteps as well. My dad often
jokes about how his sisters picked on him, but the truth is they helped form
him into a great father for his daughters.
Dad learned at an early age that women can do anything they put their
mind to.
My dad never shied away from teaching his daughters to be
independent. He taught me to change
my car’s oil, rotate tires, taught me the difference between metric and
standard wrenches; he taught me that I did not need a man, but I might want a
man. He is my standard to which I
compare all other men. As a farmer he
showed his daughters compassion in how he cared for his dairy cows, his pigs,
and his land. We saw our father struggle
through the tough times and celebrate the good times. We saw him love our mother, and forgive
her. We saw our father sin and ask for
forgiveness. Most importantly we witnessed
our dad’s great faith. Life hasn’t been
easy for him, but through it all he never lost his faith. Farming is a testament of any farming father’s
faith. Dad depended on God to care for
his family when times were tough, when crops didn’t grow because of drought,
when floods drown our fields, and when illness ravaged the dairy herd. Farming is not for the faint of heart. It was his great example which inspired me to
be just like him.
When I was troubled, he listened to me and let me cry. When I was boastful, he taught me
humility. When I was sad, he taught me
to know that sadness was temporary and happiness is a choice. He taught me to appreciate the little
blessings in life and see God in all around me: family, friends, nature, and farming. He showed me the importance of family and
friends, and to value those relationships the most. He believed in me when I couldn’t believe in
myself and gave me the freedom to fail and make mistakes. I knew no matter what he loved me and believed
in me. Just knowing that gave me all the
strength I needed, add a little faith in God and I am the woman I am because of
my dad.
Happy Father’s Day to all of the farming
fathers! You are influencing your sons
and daughters in more ways that you can possibly imagine through the way you
farm, the way you love, and most of all through your faith in God above. Keep up the good work! You’re raising the next generation of awesome
people!
