Recently, we attended a relative’s wedding reception. It was so heartwarming to relax and visit, catching up with people we hadn’t seen in quite some time. Earlier that same day, our daughter had a basketball game in a nearby town. A few days before the busy weekend, my husband suggested we get a milker for the evening.
The words were barely out of his mouth, and I got busy calling our milker guy. He had plans and could not accommodate us. Bummer. We do have a back-up, our nephew, a busy farmer himself, who fills in for us once in awhile. I texted him and immediately got a reply back, “Sure, no problem!” What wonderful words to read!
It was a Saturday, so that morning after chores, I had to work at the post office. My husband was busy after breakfast. He cleaned the barn, fed heifers and took care of the night feeding before noon so we could leave the farm for the day/evening soon after I returned home from the post office. Our nephew would come that night to feed the smaller calves, feed cows their grain, milk cows, wash up milkers and sweep feed in before he left.
Walking into the gym in the middle of the afternoon was odd; usually we attend night games after all our chores are done. As I realized I did not have to check my watch to make sure we left in time for night chores, a warm, settled feeling came over me — just sheer relaxation, actually. Such a simple thing, but so appreciated. We had off! We could just sit there and enjoy the contests. The girls played first, and then we even stayed to watch the boys team play. Because we could. We had off!
Leaving the gym, we shivered in the cold, and headed home to change clothes and again, jump in the car to head to the wedding reception. Coming and going, we noticed our barn lights on. It was the strangest thing not to be out there! Home, and leaving again, and not once getting into barn duds to push or pull anything or maneuver any piece of machinery or feed or milk any animal. For one night. Delightful.
My husband detests getting rushed through a wedding reception meal. We like to get there early enough to slowly enjoy our food, visiting with those sitting around us as we eat. This particular night, we had enough time because we didn’t have chores first. Walking into the hall, we stopped here and there to greet people along the way to the buffet table. Soon, my husband was whispering in my ear, “We’d better get to the table or they’re gonna start cleaning up!”
Sitting down at an open table, it soon began filling with people, and it dawned on me that all of those around us were farmers. It was unusual to have almost an entire table filled with farmers. We are becoming a scarce commodity! The meal passed pleasantly with talk of our different farms’ futures, kids taking over or showing no interest, all the machinery starting in this cold weather or bucking because of the frigid temps, how are your cows handling the cold — normal farm conversation!
Done eating, we hooked up with cousins we hadn’t seen in awhile and caught up on how their kids were doing, all of that. At one point, there were three couples standing in a circle, and we had been discussing how one couple met, an amazing, whirlwind courtship that had endured the test of time, celebrating 40-plus years of marriage. Going around the group, we realized that all of us had been married for more than 30 years, to the same person, raising children together and honoring the commitment we had made to God and each other. It was heartwarming to say the least. There are success stories! Such pleasantry.
After the grand march, we headed home, tired but happy after our long day. Watching a lively game of basketball, enjoying good company while eating a delicious meal, catching up with distant relatives, getting a night off milking all are relaxing activities that can warm a person up — in spite of the cold temps outside!
(“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11)
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