Mom and I usually chat as we take our daily hikes. They're typically about nothing and sometimes everything. We enjoy each others company and after 5 years together we know each others moods.
The weather never matters, every day is a perfect day to take a walk in my mind. Today it was a beautiful day for a hike for each of us. We walked in silence for awhile, both enjoying the sounds of nature and the beauty around us.
All my life I've never thought about my Mom and her age. Things like that don't cross a pups mind very often. She's your Mom and that's the end of that. Today I was in a different sort of mood and it came to mind that my Mom is a little older than most.
This got me to wondering what life was like when Mom was a girl. So as every inquisitive pup would do I asked. "Mom what was it like when you were my age?" She looked at me, smiled, and said, "Molly, where is this coming from?" I said, "I don't know Mom, I just want to know what things were like when you were a pup".
Then the story began. Well, Molly, I grew up here on this farm we live on now. Our farm was much bigger then. I grew up playing and running through the same woods and fields you and I hike through. There were chores to do to help my Mom and Dad take care of the farm and animals. We would chop weeds from the garden rows and in each season we'd pick the vegetables and fruits. We'd can and freeze what we picked during the bountiful summer months to feast on during the winters.
There were summer evenings spent playing and splashing in rivers and streams with cousins who lived close by. There were sleepovers with my Grandmother where we'd chase lightening bugs. After we'd tire of that we'd gather round on my Grandmother's back porch eat popcorn and tell ghost stories with cousins.
Molly looked at her Mom and said, "That sounds like a perfect childhood Mom". Smiling my Mom said, "Life is what you make it Molly. There are people who throughout my life have said You must have grown up poor". The older I get the more I understand everything is relative, and how people perceive things depends on each individuals opinions and viewpoints.
I enjoyed my childhood. I am grateful for the values my farm life taught me. I love the sound of cattle lowing in the evenings. It brings back memories of going to feed and milk the cow, my dogs always keeping me company. I love hiking though our woods and fields and the peace that fills my soul as I think of my family that used to farm this land and the life we lived here.
After a few min.'s of silence Molly says," Mom I see what you're saying, everything depends on your perspective". That's right Molly, "You can look at your life and the lessons you've learned as a blessing and be thankful for each one, or you can resent your life, complain about everything you've ever experienced focus only on the negative, and never see your blessings or claim your happiness. Life is what you make it."
Molly smiled as they turned around to go back home, gave a happy wag of her tail and said," Mom I love our life and I love having you for my Mom". Giving me a glance with a smile on her face, my Mom said, " Molly I love you too."
Praying we all have the vision to see our blessings.
Love, Molly and my Mom
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