Shine On

Life is what you make it. You can let the hard times keep you down, or you can pick yourself up and put your light into the world. I choose the latter. I'm not saying it's always easy, and I've had my challenges keeping my chin up this summer, but at the end of the day I can honestly say that on most days the good outweighs the bad, and for that I am truly grateful. I lost my dad this summer, which has been the hardest experience of my life. I thought I knew what grief was after losing longtime friendships and beloved pets, but I never truly understood the weight of grief until now. Grief has a way of sneaking up on you at the most unexpected times, and suddenly the tears start flowing. I understand now that grief may never leave, and that it changes us forever. But we must continue to cultivate joy in our lives, because that is what our loved ones would have wanted for us.

This summer brought an opportunity for me to reconnect with high school friends that I hadn't seen in ages. I love our life here on the farm, and honestly most days I don't ever want to leave. But there are those times that the loneliness is stronger than others, when I miss the friendships that have faded since we moved to the country. So my husband and I took a road trip to Moab in Utah to visit Canyonlands and Arches National Parks and to meet up with old friends along the way. This trip reminded me of the importance of taking the time to maintain our friendships, even when life is busy or we don't feel like putting in the effort. The feeling of connection we gain when we reach out to others is so important. The more love that fills us up, the more love we have to share with others, and that is the most important thing we can do in these difficult times.

We lost our farm kitty, OJ this summer due to kidney failure. The vet said it was likely due to something toxic he ate, and there was no treatment. It was another hard loss along with Ringo and Miss Pumpkin Pie earlier this summer, all of which have changed the daily routine on the farm so much. Cards and gifts from friends near and far, some of which I only know on social media, have meant so incredibly much and have kept me going. This is one of the reasons that I believe so strongly in taking the opportunity whenever you can to reach out with a kind gesture to others. In the spirit of spreading a little happiness, drop me a note if you'd like me to add you to my holiday card list this season.

The garden provided lots of beauty this summer. It kept me busy with harvesting and preserving, and I was thankful for the distraction. I put away more tomatoes for the winter than ever before, it truly was the never-ending season of tomatoes and brought me a lot of joy. I submitted a few dozen entries to the county fair this summer which I hadn't done for a couple of years. It brings out the kid in me seeing the blue ribbons, and if you have the chance to participate in the county fair to keep the tradition alive, I encourage you to do it. I also spent lots of time just sitting and enjoying time with my flock. It's impossible not to be happy with these fabulous feathered ladies in your life. They truly do make every day better.

One of my new friends from down the road grows a big field of pumpkins, and she sells the most beautiful etched pumpkins. I asked her if she would mind coming over to etch a few pumpkins in honor of Ringo and Miss Pumpkin Pie in my memorial garden this summer. The etchings she did here were so much fun, but perhaps my favorite of them all was the little heart she left on the backside of one of my Tromboncino squash for me to find later. It was the sweetest surprise, and it made me cry happy tears on a day that I had been feeling sad. So shine on my friends. You never know when that moment of kindness that you share with someone is exactly what they need to turn their day around.