Growing up, summers were spent working, fishing in ponds, and climbing on those hay rolls your papaw told you to stay off of. Growing up a farm kid was the greatest blessing I could have ever received. There was no Wi-Fi, or video games; you were outdoors from the time the sun came up till the time your mother yelled for you to come in. Life didn’t revolve around other kids in the neighborhood; it revolved around my boots, horses, and the Good Lord himself.

Here’s a few things all farm kids know to be true:

1. You learn Patience from an early age- before you get to do what you want, you must do what needs to be done first.
2. You learn the true meaning of hard work and to never give up- even when I didn’t want to fill water tanks up all day long, or for the life of me couldn’t get that trailed backed up; I got it done. The feeling of accomplishment you get after finally backing that trailer on your hundred and first time is unmatched by any other.
3. You learn to appreciate where you come from- you get to grow up in God’s country, with wide open spaces as far as the eye can see. There is no better place to grow your imagination than riding on the tractor all day!
4. You learn to care for another living being other than yourself- your livestock depended on you, and it is your responsibility to make sure they have everything they need at all times.
5. You learn the importance of making sure that gate is closed.
6. You learn to drive at a young age- The more that you can help out the better, so learning to drive at a young age is something all farm kids do.
7. You learn to toughen up- Roll up those sleeves, get dirty, and get going – it’s the only way jobs will get done.
8. You learn the true value of family members- There aren’t many jobs that teach as much about your family and the value of them as farming does. You work with them and put up with them daily but they are also your leaning blocks when things go wrong and your support when nothing goes right. I still call my papaw when something goes wrong….. Even if that’s all day long on some days.
9. You learn to become a jack of all trades- You learned from a young age the tools of the trade. Flat tires and oil changes have nothing on you!
10. You learn to pray for someone other than myself- I’ve prayed for rain in a drought, sunshine when hay was still laying on the ground, and I feel like I’m always praying for just a little more time in the day to get everything done. Faith and Farming go hand in hand.
11. You’ll learn that there is no such thing as an excuse- Have you ever said “but I don’t want to do that?” Well I guess you learned pretty quickly after those words left your mouth that it doesn’t matter, you’re still going to have to do it. There are no excuses in farming – a job is a job and that job needs to be done.
12. You learn the value of the dollar- Money doesn't grow on trees. You learn to stay humble. Money didn’t drive us to achieve goals, family did.

The funny thing is, those neighborhood kids think they had it better but they had no idea. God Bless.