I never wanted to marry a farmer. I grew up on a farm, and I knew very well what life would look like. I didn’t want to be so dependent on rain and commodity prices. I didn’t want a front porch that always looked dirty. I didn’t want to always have to save, save, save in order to always be prepared for a crop failure. I didn’t want to be forced out of my comfort zone on a regular basis, knowing it was inevitable that I would be asked to drive machinery or do intimidating farm tasks.
But guess what? I married a farmer.
By marrying a farmer, I have found that the things in life that I make strong statements about “never wanting” end up being the exact things I am forced to face. And more often than not, those things become the biggest blessings I would have missed out on.
Now that I am older (and wiser?) I can see, on the surface, why I didn’t want these things. But now that I have a closer look, I see how wonderful it has been to raise my kids on land that provides our living. I can see how having to save, save, save has done the heavy lifting in teaching my children the value of a dollar and how to be thankful for all we are able to acquire. I can see how being forced to drive a grain cart or run the forklift has helped me grow in confidence and see things about myself that I never thought capable of.
Above all, I can see I would have missed out on being married to a really great man.
As I wrap up this thought, I can see why a predictable ending to this post would be me telling you to “never say never.” Instead, my advice will be this: go ahead and say what you will never and hope that you are lucky enough to be proven wrong. :)
Cheers!
Lara