PLANT SEEDS AND WATCH THEM GROW- CLINK

It has been said through family folklore that when Louise, my mother in law, was a little girl she would sing, swing and say, when I grow up I am going to have twelve children and a big family someday. Louise, through her words and song, spread those seeds from her heart and dreams up into the Kansas wind from that swing outside her families homestead nestled on the edge of the Flint Hills. I can only image that she picked twelve as her number because twelve makes a perfect dozen and they are. Growing up on a farm she was tilled, cultivated and raised with the values and understanding of how to grow things up well and lasting. Farmers always think ahead, judge and adapt to the seasons, they prepare, they serve each other and their community. They value family, they work very hard and diligently sun up till sun down, they work together and they work alone.  At the end of the day they pray for continued protection and then they pray and are grateful for the harvest. My favorite moments with Louise were the times I caught glimpses of her looking over all of us and her harvest with such pride and that spark and twinkle in her eyes. Often at Thanksgiving, after Jack said the prayer, she would thank everyone for coming and then add on her prayer for safety and travels.  This picture of her Grandchildren from left to right, Maddie, McLaine, Katie, Megan and Shauna are just a small sample of her many, many beautiful grandchildren.   Megan and Shauna forwarded this picture to me that they recently took while enjoying a cousin outing a couple of weeks back.   I am just so proud of the women in this picture, the next generation dedicated to continuing her dream and legacy. They are ensuring, by making time for each other, that the story goes on and it will continue to grow so well that it lasts for those who have yet to come..   We CLINK, we get together and tell the stories, we laugh, we celebrate, we cry and we remember. We are Family and Family matters, Have a blessed Easter

Family, like branches on a tree… We all grow in different directions.. But yet our roots remain as one… (author unknown)

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