As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessing of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness - just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breathe it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm. Oh we have so much to be thankful for that we seldom think of it in that way!

—Laura Ingalls Wilder

Everywhere you look, the focus seems to be on politics and/or COVID-19. The uncertainty in everything is exhausting and making future plans has been put on hold leaving us to focus on accomplishing the everyday. That aspect of this quarantine year has left us extra appreciative of farm life. During this past Thanksgiving celebration, I made a point of unplugging from the outside doom and gloom. I put my phone down to just focus on our family and farm life. Along the way, I counted my blessings.

How lucky we are in this line of work, that for the most part the daily routine is just that, routine? Simply focusing on those everyday tasks can bring a sense of peace to those mundane chores. We can still enjoy that normal pace of life that the average person is currently missing. And we owe  much of that to you.

This time with my family was exactly what I needed to remember the blessings that our rural life brings. When we can’t control situations, at least we can choose our mindset. I hope you all can find a way to soak up the sunshine and find the silver lining in this crazy situation.

WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR IN THIS UNPRECEDENTED YEAR:

• For a farm, and surrounding land, that provides all kinds of sustenance and safe harbor from the world.
• For farm-raised food from our garden and pastures — or grown in the fields of other farmers that we know.
• For my husband who works hard off the farm, and on it, so that we may have the farm.
• For my three children and their partners and the knowledge that we will all gather again another year.
• For my friends and faraway family who, here or there or through the ether that connects us in our modern times, visit when they can in heart, mind and voice.