As I sit in my own “farm” house in the city of Anoka, I can’t help but recall days spent at my grandparents’ home in Wisconsin so many years ago. There’s something about a farm that reeks of clean living, nature, animals and peace. Our current address was originally a farmstead in the late 1800s. Even though it’s in the center of our town, I think of all the memories that must’ve been made here. It is a reminder of those childhood days on Grandma and Grandpas’ farm.
The path to their house was lined with a brigade of tall sentries. Each pine had been meticulously planted and nurtured for years. It was now their mission to protect the meager house from the elements. Once you reached the house you were greeted by a rusty old hand pump which had served its purpose until it was at last replaced by indoor plumbing. There was an outhouse in the backyard – another reminder of times past. A stray cat might also curl its way around your feet, begging for attention.
The house itself was modest but held stories of a family and their journeys through tough times as well as good. The little modified cottage grew with every new addition to the clan. As they grew so did the house. A window seat was built into the wall overlooking the massive flower garden, the fields of golden hay and the ever-present line of diligent soldiers. I used it as a perfect refuge to escape and read a book or just enjoy the view.
My grandparents raised eight children there. My grandmother watched five of them and her husband pass away during her lifetime and finally succumbed herself – never giving up the house nor the memories that were made there. Watching her children come and go, must’ve been so hard for her, but then to lose her husband as well. Isn’t it amazing what we endure in a lifetime? We start from scratch, building a life, creating new lives, watching them grow and spread their wings. We see them become responsible adults as we become old. In a way, it’s like beginning all over again when you reach these final years. You require more help just maintaining as you did just a few years ago. You become more dependent on others. Your strong stride has been reduced to baby steps. Such is the circle of life.
When you are in the building process, making memories and treasuring them, it becomes difficult to let go of the things you hold dear. Like King Solomon, you wonder what it was all for. Your mind skips through those younger years. Your body grows weaker with age, but if you are glued to the Savior, Jesus, you have more than memories. You have a full future awaiting in heaven.
atimetoshare.me 
So very true…the circle of life. The goal is to be one with Jesus through joys and sufferings here on earth, and to be eternally joyful with Our Lord in heaven…a joy we can’t even imagine❤️
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It will be pure bliss, won’t it?
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Agreed. My folks lost their turkey farm when I was in the first-second grade. The span was confusing to me in that the farm went from a processing plant operating to no turkey, then no processing plant, then pieces and parts started to be sold. The process took over a year. But my grandparents lived next door, and a cousin had cattle next to them. I would walk into the woods and imagine my own adventures, since for the most part, there were no other kids my age. Maybe that is why I feel more comfortable in the big city of Tracy than I do here on the outskirts of Pittsburgh.
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There aren’t as many family farms anymore. I can understand why Tracy appeals to you more than the outskirts of Pittsburgh 🥸
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I saw the family farm begin to disappear around my hometown while in high school and college. One farmer after another sold their farm to a neighbor who could afford to buy it and they took jobs in the town’s factories. Now, a Toyota assembly plant is a few miles from town, near Interstate 22. And when I was in the Twin Cities a few years ago, one of those family farms was where the wedding was held. They were hanging on to the family farm by making it a wedding destination, and not much farming.
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It’s probably a good use for those poor old farms. Many are still beautiful inside and make wonderful event centers.
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It was a beautiful setting.
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Beautiful thoughts. My mind now travels to the countryside, pondering…
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Mine has been there for quite a while. Thanks for your comment 🌺
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My older daughter had her wedding in the county at a spot that must have been a farm once. Don’t really know what it was, but the people who now own it had made it to a pretty spot.
My daughters and now my wife and I have all moved into small country towns. The big cities should have all the advantages, but the people who run them are just too rapacious. Sad to see.
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We currently live in a small town. The future tells us it’s time to find senior living. I’m resisting stubbornly🥸
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Don’t blame you for resisting.
I would imagine the main advantage of moving into a senior living facility before you truly need one is that you will have time to shop around. Depending upon what we need, these places can be quite expensive.
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