Sometimes it’s hard to remember what’s most important in life. Sometimes what is happening around us moves in in such a way as to strip us of our joy — at least for a while.
Lately, life on the ranch has been so stressful that finding time to relax and enjoy what is all around me has been tough. Like so many ranching families, the times are hard and the battle almost overwhelming. Questions that we’ve never faced before loom large: will there BE a ranch to pass on to our children and grandchildren? Is this all for naught? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel — or is that an illusion?
This causes me to stop and ponder. If we LOST all this, would we have nothing?
Well, we’d certainly have a different life and it would be one of the saddest days I could imagine. But then, I remember, we would still have each other. We’d still have our faith. We’d still have life.
That’s what I need to hang on to right now….as we move closer to having to fight our way out of this tangled mess that seems to be life as a farmer and rancher in California, in the West, in the United States.
And so I will continue to choose to write about all the things that I cherish most…. my God, my family, my community, our ranch, my projects and goals….