We are in the middle of holiday show season. For me that just means it is much colder when working with the show calves. It also means the cattle shows we think about attending may be cold and wet or frozen. Thankfully the kids I haul to shows are troopers and there is never any complaining about the weather. They are genuinely excited to be at a show no matter what it is like, BUT there is always talk about that ONE SHOW we went to that was the coldest ever!
I keep in contact with the kids I help via group text and when we get a week that looks like it will be nicer, I send them the weather forecast (because we know teens are NOT checking out the local weather app.) and let them know the days that will be nicer for them to be rinsing. These kids do not have fancy show barns or indoor wash racks and they need to be weather aware before they rinse their cattle. These kids have Beefmaster cattle, and they brush and blow on days it is too cold to rinse so they are always doing something.
I am blessed to be doing the things I love when it comes to raising and showing cattle. I also feel fortunate to still be working with a lot of great kids and families that see the value in what we do with them. I have always been open to helping anyone that asks for help with an animal project and my husband will probably tell you that I go over the top sometimes to help different kids.
This season I have been thinking about the things we do and how blessed my husband and I have been for the things we have been able to accomplish just this year alone. One thing this year that has really pulled on my heart is seeing the angel tree requests. I was scrolling thru Facebook late one night and came across a local post asking for help filling the angel tree requests for foster kids. I have tried to become more intentional lately about following through with things that speak to my heart so the next day I went and selected 3 kids to fill their list.
The ask was not much, a stuffed dog toy, sweatshirts, long sleeved shirts and bibles. I added a soft blanket for the little girl and some socks for the boys. Nothing that even compared money wise to what I spend a week on show feed for the calves or even gas to fill the truck up to go to a show.
My cousins in Oklahoma did something similar except they reached out to a local nursing home and asked for an angel tree list. They took the entire list. My daughter did the same thing with the nursing home in the small town her business is in.
If you have been blessed this year or feel it in your heart to give, there are many angel trees still available. If you can’t find an angel tree, check with your local nursing home, pet shelter, or local school and pay off or pay forward some lunches. Whatever you feel on your heart and it doesn’t have to be much. In a world that is so fast paced we sometimes get wrapped up in all we have going on we forget about the needs of others. This year, be a blessing to others in a season that is about joy.
Debbie Elder is a native of Ottawa County, Okla. and lives on her farm in Webster County, Mo. To contact Debbie, call 1-866-532-1960 or by email at [email protected].
