I didn’t grow up in the country. So, my perspective of life in the city is a little bit different than that of my kids. To them, when we travel to the big city everything is so bright and shiny, they become envious of all-the-things that ICT has to offer. It’s easy to understand, there are so many places to go, people to see, and things to do! With their excitement we always circle back to why we live where we do, pros and cons and all the things that go along with that.
I have written about my love of the country multiple times, and I would not want it any other way. Honestly, I look at my views of what life in the country was like a decade ago and how I view it now, and there have been a lot of changes to my views over the years. I often think that my city friends may wonder why someone would choose this life, and that got me thinking, life in the country is about just that…life. Agriculture is life. Learning about life is a great way to raise kids.
Responsibility is a word we take very seriously out here. We care for the grasslands, raise the cattle and crops and watch it all grow. Our lives revolve around the season and we watch and check the weather…well, more than we check much else. We consider our neighbors family and our community our responsibility. We work hard and give back, go to church and read the weekly paper religiously.
Sometimes it may feel to some that it’s like stepping back in time when you visit a small town with little activity going on…but that’s not really true, you just have to look very closely to find it.
Cattle is our life, and livelihood. The life of a rancher comes with infinite responsibility, but it also comes with a lot of education for the kiddos too. Conception, birth, lifecycle. Ranchers talk about sex all the time, it’s what we do! When to breed, pregnancy checks, how much to feed, what to feed. Temperature checks, vaccinations, antibiotics, so many things to research, discuss and take care of. We care for the animals before we care for ourselves, and in turn, those animals provide for us in so many ways. The kids love the new babies, and it’s certainly the most exciting time of year for us.
Crops are another responsibility that the kids have. They help by tending to the garden at home, and learn about tractors and implements and everything on the farm. We learn that taking care of the earth is a lot easier on a small scale. Planting vegetables and picking weeds is easy. When we plant them on a larger scale, we learn about chemicals and picking the right seeds. Planting and what is best for the earth and for us too. There are so many lessons and so much education that go into this job.
We care for the grasslands and waterways. We feel that we have a responsibility to our children to leave the land in better condition that when we found it. That mindset passes from generation to generation by the younger watching the older. Therefore, generations of knowledge go into maintaining this land and this lifestyle.
Then there are the people. Obviously, we teach them to love one another (between all of their little fights) but to also love their neighbors, to respect their elders, and to have company manners. Maybe they are brats sometimes when they are at home, but when they leave our house, they are to be kind and respectful to others.
We learn about caring for ourselves too. We wear appropriate clothing for the task at hand and use the right equipment, such as when outdoors we wear hats to protect our skin from the sun and our eyes from the elements. But we remove our hats for meals, for prayer and for the flag.
All these things they learn from watching, and from listening (a little more than we’d prefer sometimes perhaps 😉). Beyond life on the ranch, they know that community service is important, because we show them that it is. They think that being kind to strangers is important because they watch us do it. They are frequently reminded how lucky they are to live where they do, here in the wide-open spaces. They love our small town, because we do. They are proud that they are from Kansas because we too are proud. And they know they should feel blessed every single day that they were born in the greatest country to ever exist and should always be proud to be an American, because they know we are, because we tell them.
Sometimes our lives out here in the country are not as glamorous as they might try and make them look in the Hallmark Christmas Movies that their mom loves so much; but it sure does bring a smile to my face every single time I stop and take in all the beauty surrounding me. I know they tire of me asking them if they ‘know how lucky they are to live in such a beautiful place’ but I also know it reminds them to think about it.
Even though I didn’t foresee this life, I love bringing my kids up in the gorgeous Flint Hills of Kansas.
Do you love where you live?
