2012
Times are hard. Folks
are looking for jobs. Homes are being
foreclosed upon. Prices are going
up. Wild fires are roaring across the
grasslands. Drought is drying and
cracking the earth in parts of the country while flooding has ravaged other areas
of the nation. Times are hard.
A couple of weeks ago I helped a friend of mine take a large
number of his cattle to market. It was a
tough decision for his family. They’d
worked hard at growing their herd. Each
year they moved out the older cows and were working toward improvement. But the reality is that there has been little
rain across our area; grass is scarce; the price of hay is high. They can only afford to feed a certain amount
of cattle.
To make matters worse, farmers in the area are finding it
hard to plant winter wheat. In a normal
year they’d be able to allow the cattle to graze on the young wheat. With no rain, there is no planting. Some folks are dusting their wheat into the
ground with the hope that rain will come and offer moisture to the seeds after
they buried beneath the surface of the soil.
It’s a big risk. Seeds and fuel
cost money.
We sorted the cows and calves, keeping the cows he thought
he could afford to feed. We loaded as
many as the trailers would hold and had to make several trips. He knew he was taking a loss to sell them
early. At the sale barn, we waited in
line. There were others who faced the
same decisions. Horse trailers and
cattle trucks lined up to alleviate the burden on heavily grazed pastures. It’s a buyer’s market. In a few months, there will be fewer cattle
to take to market, and beef prices are likely to go up. That will affect the rest of us.
Times are hard, but they aren’t as hard as they’ve ever
been. Our grandparents and great
grandparents had it harder. They endured
the crash of the market, the great depression, two world wars, and the dust
bowl. They made it through. In fact, my friend’s family was one of the few
who persevered, held on, and made a life in this rugged country. So many were forced to pack up and move
away. Many found life in the cities
almost as difficult.
How did they make it?
What lessons can we learn from them?
They made it by reaching deep inside, finding discipline and
determination where it hides inside.
They pinched pennies. They made
things last. They held tight to what
matters; family, friends, neighbors.
They stuck together. They helped
each other out. They did what they had
to do. Times were hard.
When times are hard, we have to look for what’s
important. We have to make the tough
decisions. We have to hold on to what
matters most and make the most of what we have.
Commitment, dedication, determination, self-sacrifice – those words hold
more meaning when times are hard.
My wife recently had surgery four and a half hours away from home. My mom stayed with the kids. My wife is doing well, still sore, but getting around. Times are hard, but folks showed up at our house with meals every day. They stuck with us, showed us kindness, took the time to think of others even though things might not be going well for them right now.
There’s another word which has more meaning when times are
hard; that word is hope. We hope for the
rains which will eventually come. We
hope for an improvement in the economy; for jobs to become available; for
prices to stabilize. However, hope isn’t
an empty pail waiting to be filled. Hope
is the heart at work. It is that
determination our ancestors tapped into; it is staying prepared to leap when
the time is right. Hope is keeping our
eyes open; our ears alert; and our souls on fire for the day which promises to
bring those improvements we so desire.
The encouragement, support, and kindness of others can help
fuel our hope. We can help build the
hope of others by offering them our support as well, but real hope comes from
inside; it comes from the determination that we are strong enough to face what
comes against us. Hope comes from
knowing the sun will shine through the clouds again someday and we will be
ready for that day.
In my book Loving
Deacon, Emily and Deacon are among those who endure. They hold on to each other. They treasure what matters most. Their love and determination see them through. They are the kind of folks who add to the
hope of others even when they may be struggling as well. Their spirits are carved from the stone which
serves as the foundation of American values and traditions. They hold onto their hope when times are
hard.
