So much of the news today is negative, and as I watch it, I catch myself frowning deeply, my heart sad and my stomach clenched. All I hear is murder, theft, deceit, dishonesty; it’s enough to make me want to … Turn. It. Off.
What I love to hear is people doing something kind, good and generous. This took place just recently as my husband and I had the privilege of contributing in a small way with a fundraiser (one of many) for a family that is enduring a heart-wrenching time. Their precious daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and she is just 15 years old.
Her mother is a nurse that is affiliated with the Rural Health Initiative, an organization that promotes and encourages good health among the rural farm population. Her mom has personally come out numerous times to our farm, sitting at our kitchen table with her eyebrows knit together with intense concern, head tilted to one side, listening with a professional ear to our health concerns and anything else we care to share privately with her.
Because she has helped us and countless other farmers in Shawano and Waupaca counties, my husband and I took it upon ourselves to offer our services. It’s just payback, I figure. We put the word out that we were collecting hamburger and cheese for a chili fundraiser to be held in the near future.
Within days of the newspaper going to print, I heard from various farmers via text messages, phone calls and emails, offering their produce for the dinner. A couple of people sent money and one kind soul included a note stating: “No hamburger or cheese, not a farmer, just a small donation for your wonderful generosity.” It made me weep with gratitude. There are so many good people in this world!
As farmers called and dropped off their offerings, I had pleasant conversations regarding our trade and our faith in God. Farm wives have so much in common. Many are women of deep faith and we all know what we do and what it takes to keep a farm running; every day working right alongside our husbands. I mentioned to one gal, “I do the ‘peon’ work, I call it: feeding, scraping, cleaning and feeding calves. I don’t milk.”
“I don’t milk either!” Then she countered with, “Unless of course, there’s something that comes up, then I pitch in with the milking. Otherwise I don’t go under the cows.”
She recalled stories about calves that had to have quite a bit of tender, loving care, which took an extra amount of time making sure they digested enough liquids, giving them electrolytes when they didn’t consume the mother’s milk or milk replacer. I admitted I tube calves like that, but she didn’t want to attempt it, thinking she may insert the tube down the wrong way and by accident, quite possibly suffocate the calf. She left tubing up to her husband.
We discussed times when the animals don’t make it and I discovered that I wasn’t the only one with a tender heart, crying when an animal had to be put down or the rendering service called.
One day a while back, we had such a situation. When the cow didn’t make it, it left an empty spot in the barn. This particular cow was the second one from the end. She and the end one next to her were buddies and I swear they slept with their noses touching. When she left, the cow on the end seemed lost.
That first night as I pushed my grain cart past her, I let her dip in and take a mouthful even though she was “dry” and did not get a grain ration. My husband thought I was crazy, but it was a heart thing. I looked at her and wanted to think I saw gratitude. Maybe it was just the barn light reflecting off her deep brown eyes.
Other conversations were, “when to say when.” In other words, how does one know when the time is right to quit milking cows? One gal said she just had had enough. Never having time off, the actual physical work, the 24/7 responsibility of feeding, cleaning, milking twice daily were getting to her.
Because she didn’t want to “go cold turkey,” she ended up keeping a few cows to milk and filling her barn with heifers to “keep the barn alive.” In other words, so the water wouldn’t freeze and the barn become dilapidated. I give such credit to this woman, as she did most of the farm work while her husband worked out! I cannot imagine.
The physical work keeps us trim but also wears a person down. We both understood what I meant when I quipped, “The cows are killing us and keeping us healthy at the same time!”
The heartwarming conversations took place as these generous people readily handed over meat, cheese and money for the fundraising event. We all discussed how much the nurse from Rural Health Initiative meant to us, how she endlessly and compassionately tended to our concerns and became a good friend in the process. It’s a blessing to be able to give back.
There are so many kind, good and generous people in the world. This is a newsworthy story to report, guaranteed to generate a smile, not a frown.
(“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:12)
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