Happy new year!
We decided to share here our conversation with each other about our thoughts for the new year. Perhaps it will resonate with you as well.
Beth - "It is hard to think about what this new year will be like. Life in a new place, doing new things. Becoming a farmer and focusing our lives on the land and weather, seeds and cows, instead of my city commute! And what about my job? Will I stay for a while still in San Francisco, or head out into the unknown? What kinds of “resolutions” are even possible when you have no idea what the universe will bring your way?"
John - " For me, I can't just resolve to harvest a great crop of oats or save every calf, when rain may keep us from planting and calves may be born during a raging storm. All we can do is resolve to do our best and make hay while the sun shines."
Beth - "Which is really just life anyway, isn’t it? Maybe we should all resolve to "make hay when the sun shines," and try not to sit up nights worrying about the rain. No one knows what is around the next corner, so doing our best in the here and now is about all we’ve all got."
John - "The fact is that this year, Dad, in his 87th year on the earth, managed to have 28 calves from 29 cows (he lost two, but also had an auspicious set of twins, both of whom survived - a very rare occurrence), It gives me hope I can do something similar."
Beth - "Auspicious calf twins! Maybe then it is a resolution to court lady luck while also kicking in our own learning and preparation. To learn everything possible, then set it in motion, and literally hope for the best. That is not something I do naturally - let life happen as it comes - and is definitely something I need to learn in this transition time."
John - "There is one resolution that I can make, though. I resolve to continue to try to communicate with my wife and to coordinate our dream for this farm, so that whether it is successful or not, at least there will be harmony and trust. It is with her that I have made this dream a reality."
Beth - "And I can try to not be such a naysayer and to try to allow us to have a bit of fun while attempting this adventure. If we only live this life once, I hope I can smile more and always remember to dance with my husband around the kitchen, even when things get rough."
Happy new year readers! May your year be full of auspicious cow twins and more dancing.