If any of you grew up in a farming family you understand the two most crucial times of the year – spring planting and fall harvest. They are long hard days for my husband and long hard days for me. When he’s busy out in the field from sun up to sun down that means I’m home keeping everything together and trying not to pull all of my hair out. It’s exhausting, it’s lonely, it’s amazing, and it’s our way of life.

6:00 am – 8:00 pm I am wiping noses, bottoms,  fixing broken Barbie’s, playing dolls, rocking my newborn to sleep, listening to crying, temper tantrums, nursing, smiling, remembering to laugh and let the little things float by, and the list goes on. Oh and I’m working! Yes, I am working my job sometimes early before the girls wake up and usually late into the evening when they are tucked into bed. I’m also cleaning and cooking! All of this is the exhausting part. At the end of the day I’m lucky to get enough energy to shower. It’s our way of life.

Sometimes I go a week without seeing someone other than my children and my husband for a few hours at night. That is the lonely part of it. As a farming wife you tend to be the main caretaker of the house. My husband is one of those ‘special’ farmers though – he still helps when he can. He unloads the dishwasher for me early in the morning before he leaves and sometimes he’ll put a load of laundry in at night when he comes in. Every little bit helps. During the busy times – his mind is on work and the stress level is high. If we want to see him then I load up the girls in the car and take them to the field. If we are lucky we are invited to ride along for a while. There is nothing easy about working against Mother Nature and laying your whole livelihood on the land, it’s our way of life though.

See my husband is happy and that makes me happy. He is doing something that he loves and that I am learning to love more. It’s hard work and most of the time it’s not the best work but he finds the strength to do it all. He’s exhausted and missing his family but when the stress is relieved in the fall with a hefty crop and a safe harvest then he is amazed at all he has done and I am nothing but proud.

As for me, yes, I’m exhausted and lonely at times but I get to play with my girls all day long and I get to tuck them in at night. I also get the independence and self-worth from working a full time job. I am working on taking a little more time for myself too…aren’t we all?

As the spring time approaches if you aren’t in a farming family then you most likely will be going to the park with your family on the weekends or going to the zoo and enjoying the beautiful weather. The only family days during spring time is when it rains and of course we want rain but only when all of the crops are in! So if you have your significant other at home to help you put the kids to bed at night and to go to the park on the weekends – cherish it, your way of life is beautiful. If you are a farming family find yourself some people to help you get through this spring because it can be hard but it’s only for a period of time. Try to make the most of your quality time with your children and when your husband gets out of the planting haze he will see you standing right there amongst the sunshine.