One of the best feelings on the ranch is the first morning that there are no cows to feed because they have been turned out to graze. This summer our turnout date was about three weeks later than what it usually is because there was no rain to grow any grass in the summer ranges. Three weeks doesn’t seem all that long, but when you realize the added task of keeping bulls in the pastures where they belong while you feed cows and start to put up alfalfa is also part of the workload during that time, three weeks can seem like an eternity.
For the first time in a long while, the feed tractor sits quietly in the shop this morning. The cows are about done shedding their winter coats, and the squeak of green grass is the only sound you hear as you go check on their water. These are the mornings that I dream about. Slow, quiet and peaceful. Theres not a rush to get out of the house to go start a cranky feed tractor or tag a grumpy cow’s calf. Instead there is the sound of a mocking bird high in the cottonwood tree singing his song. Theres a soft breeze blowing turning the windmill in the pasture and the sound of water splashing into the tank as it is pumped from the ground. The smell of hot coffee fills the house as it brews.
From time to time I forget the importance of these restful mornings. I get caught up in the tasks of the day that I forget it’s ok to take a moment and enjoy the simple blessings around me. Coffee tastes better out of a ceramic mug with conversation to go along with it, than it does from a travel mug hastily poured as you were headed out the door. My grandpa taught me an important lesson in my youth, one that I have seemed to have forgotten. “There is nothing so important that it can’t wait until the morning.” Every year I understand that sentiment more and more. You can work your fingers to the bone, burn the midnight oil and chase the almighty dollar, but at what cost? Are you able to attend your kid’s baseball games, or be there for their junior rodeo? As a husband and a father, it is my job to protect and provide for my family. Notice I say it is my job to protect them first. That’s hard to do when you don’t make the time to be present in their lives.
No is the most powerful word in the English language. It’s also the one that is hated by people the most. No sets boundaries, no keeps people from taking more from you than you are willing to give, and no creates slow mornings with hot coffee. I know it’s hard to believe, but we can’t be everything to everyone. I guess turning cows out to grass this year reminded me of where my priorities need to be.
June is a whirlwind month for our family. There seems to be something on the schedule nearly every day of the month. The busyness of our lives gets crazy from time to time. Tempers get short, patience gets even shorter. Sometimes a slow morning with a hot cup of coffee and a little direction from the Bible can reset your perspective and attitude towards other people. That’s about it for this time, I’m going to finish my coffee before it gets cold and spend a little time enjoying the peace and quiet before the craziness of the day takes over. Keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire and God Bless.