Growing up on a dairy farm
In the beginning, my life was filled with love, mud, and life. That was farm life. Up at the crack of dawn, I was small but doing my part “working” to help with milking the cows. What that really means is I was standing up on the bench watching my grandpa and uncle work, hoping and praying they would let me have one of those special lemon candies in the glass container. I still buy the old fashioned lemon sanded drops whenever I can find them today. I keep them in a fancy glass candy dish because they hold a special place in my heart.
Playing in the dirt.
You could usually find me playing in the dirt. I would also help my grandma in the garden or kitchen. I’m not sure how much help I truly was, but I tagged along in my little overalls. A true farmer at heart. Sometimes my grandpa would let me put a little hammer in the loop on my overalls so I looked for the part to repair machinery that had broken. Afternoons were also spent making mud pies, building forts, and—if my Mom was lucky I kept my shoes on. If I had my way, I would always be barefoot in a tree somewhere.
Homemade healthy snacks.
My Mom would do canning and make all sorts of homemade dehydrated foods for snacks. I can’t even smell banana chips without gagging now—sorry Mom, but I had way too many of those. At the store, I would beg and beg for Fruit Roll-Ups and Mom would say, “I’ll make you some.” They were never the same, but we rolled with it. I know, I know—the homemade treats were far healthier—but as a kid, the sugary, muti-colored, store-packaged sweets were far more eye-catching.
I would say the only vice I got from the farm was ice cream. I learned that it actually is a love language. It can make you feel happy, and it was worth waiting for when my grandpa sent my grandma with a bowl of ice cream to tell me he wasn’t mad and still loved me after driving his brand-new John Deere lawn mower on the cement ledge of the driveway and getting it stuck. When you make ice cream, the most special ingredient is the love that is mixed in it. I still to this day love making homemade ice cream just as when I did when I was a child. There never is enough. How come they make the homemade ice cream container so small? That’s a mystery I have not solved but will be left for another day.
Our goat.
Lessons learned young stick with you. Pets don’t stay forever: you can try and have bunnies, but foxes also like bunnies so enjoy them while you can. Don’t ride goats: they weren’t meant to be ridden like horses. I also learned my Mom was absolutely serious when she said she would give away my goat if I rode it again. Apparently walking down the road didn’t get me far enough from her sight to hide my disobedience because the goat left with the milkman.
It’s funny how much you can pick up when you only have three channels. We weren’t allowed to watch much TV, but I did learn a lot from what I got to see. I remember there was a phase where I would only eat a banana if I could climb a tree. It was the way bananas were meant to be eaten (I’m pretty sure George of the Jungle taught me that one). My mom painted my stool bright yellow to mimic Popeye’s boat, and I would eat spinach just like him! On a more serious note, Mr. Rogers taught me to be kind and help my neighbors. This lesson was reinforced throughout my childhood by my grandparents, my uncle, and life on the farm.
My world growing up was rooted in what the earth provided. No spraying of our crops. Growing and harvesting what we ate. Drinking milk from the dairy cows. I played in the dirt and I loved it! I even ate a worm (very much organic) from being dared by my sister and cousin. I also ate dry cat food (lees organic), which tastes just like it smells. Why? Of course due to another dare from my sister and cousin. Overall, life on the farm was fantastic. It was full of love, family, adventures, and—in the worst case—a little cat food.
Developing an immune system - I wasn't in a sterile envirnoment.
What I am trying to say is that I was around dirt. In the mix of things. I wasn’t in a crazy clean environment that wouldn’t prevent me from creating a healthy immune system. My life was spent outdoors running wild, not brushing my hair (not much has changed there), and living life at its max. I got to be a crazy kid living whatever dream that was swirling around in my head. I was blessed to be surrounded by family who let me know how much I was loved. There was no lack of love in my life, I know now how insanely blessed I was.
