We moved to the acreage before my fifth grade year, previously living in town. It was a big adjustment, to say the least. I was used to living in a neighborhood and having friends I could easily play with at any given time. Now, plans had to be made, a car ride was involved, and it was more isolated.
I remember years of weekends being spent hauling sticks, if you've never lived in a wooded area, you probably can't relate, but this job was never-ending. With multiple acres pretty heavily wooded and past owners who didn't maintain the fallen limbs we hauled limb after limb to the burn pile for years. Literally years.
I spent most of my high school career picturing myself driving down the driveway to bigger and better things, never looking back, and I gave my mom the hardest time.
The funny thing is though, that while I was there I didn't really appreciate all this acreage and my family had provided me.
The years together, without the constant interactions with friends helped me to appreciate spending time as a family-something that is still true today.
All of the hauling of limbs helped me to understand that being a part of a family means pulling your own weight and contributing....even if you don't want to. It helped me realize what "real work" is like too.
I also learned what unconditional love feels like. My mom loved me when I truly didn't deserve it and was there for me no matter what.
Now, I don't live on an acreage or have a tree-lined lane, but I realize one day Grant and Hannah will probably feel the same way I did, and I hope Brian and I will have taught them the same lessons along the way that I was taught: to work hard, appreciate each other, and to love each other, not matter what.
So sweet. We both grew up on acreage in Indiana farmland, though neither of us had animals. My husband grew up on an orchard, and he worked HARD his whole life although it sounds like he and his brothers made everything a competition or a game. My house was less hard-labor but we were always picking up sticks or mowing or SOMETHING! Our parents definitely taught us to take pride in our homes. One day, I think we'd eventually like to own a little more land than we can find in the suburbs of a big city, but for now, that trip down memory lane reminded me of our dream and our pasts. Your childhood and parents' homestead sounds so sweet. And made for beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSo fun to hear this about two guys! My husband dreams of living on an acrage down the road too.
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