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.
