What a month July was! When I started sharing stories about my family’s day-to-day life on the farm, our children were small. Stories have ranged from rapidly reproducing rabbits to the goats we could barely keep alive. Raising teenagers still provides some humor in our household, but the life lessons we are trying to instill are getting more and more serious. Our firstborn is about to leave the nest and head to the University of Arkansas for her first semester of college. I question myself daily – have we shown her how to properly sort laundry, have I reminded her to check on her final transcript, the questions I ask myself are boundless. We have done a decent job preparing her for young adulthood and life outside of our home. I think. Does parenting really have a finish line?
My husband grew up here in Northwest Arkansas. He has remained close friends with men who he has known since elementary school. We refer to this group of men as, “the buddies.” This group of men has each married and now has a family of his own. Our circle has grown. Some of our children and now friends with their children. Even their mothers still refer to this group as, “the buddies.” The roots of these friendships run deep.
Recently, one of the buddies lost his older brother in a short battle with heart disease. For a few years we have prayed over their family’s struggle to keep him healthy. He was a decorated army officer but also a father, son, brother and friend. As with all the buddies, this one is part of a loved local family business. I consider his parents a second set of in-laws. These people are precious to us, when they grieve, we grieve. We have been able to love them as they walk through one of the most difficult tragedies of their lifetime. As a mother, I cannot fathom anything more difficult than burying a child. I am so thankful for our little community.
Our philosophy as parents has always been to raise them to leave the nest. Our hope for each of them has been that they would become kind, productive adults who can one day support a family of their own. As we grieved with our dear friends about their loss, we were also given an opportunity to celebrate. Our oldest daughter has been working diligently to earn her private pilot’s license. In July, she met her goal and completed her check ride.
On the afternoon she returned from her test in Pocahontas, I met her at the Springdale airport. I had the privilege of being her first official passenger. I was astounded at her professionalism and seriousness as we prepared for takeoff. She flew over several familiar sites around northwest Arkansas, including our family farm. What a blessing. All the buddies and their families celebrated this accomplishment of hers right along with us.
If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times – it takes a village to raise children. I am so thankful for our village. As we continue to prepare for our oldest child to fly the coop, I hope we can be more diligent in taking advantage of the short time we have together with friends and family, neighbor.
Jody Harris is a freelance communications specialist, gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and her family raise Angus beef cattle and other critters on their northwest Arkansas ranch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Jody, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
