Country Woman
It was a beauty of a day and I had just come in from doing my chores. I was sitting in my most favorite spot, in the wood box in the corner and listening to Reg talking to his Grandson and wife. Reg was washing his hands by the sink and listening to what they had to say. The Grandson’s wife was looking out the window. ¿I see your wife Laura working in the garden, she sure looks happy out there. It must be nice to not to have to go to work every day like I do. She has the life of Riley living here on the farm, doing what she wants, when she wants, not having to answer to any one. I got to say, I don’t think she would last a week in the city.¿
Reg was standing there taking it all in and then went and sat down at the table. ¿Young lady, I think its about time you and me had a talk. That woman your talking about, is about the hardest working woman I have ever met. She might not have a degree of schooling hanging on the wall, but she has a farm that has risen from the dirt and made into a place we can call home. She is the back bone of this whole farm, without her it would have never happened.
You say she could never live in the city and do your job, well your probably right. She hates the city, as she is a country woman. Country women are a different breed of woman. They are special, she has worked by my side for over fifty years now, through hard times and good times. She has put up with my nonsense, cooked, baked, washed, and knitted my clothes when they had holes. She was there for me when we had no money to hire help, worked in the fields, helped with the milking, delivering new born calves in the middle of winter in the snow. She has helped with getting firewood ready for winter, splitting logs with an Axe, she has planted and worked the family garden, for longer than I can remember and kept it hoed by hand. She has been there for your Father and myself, when we were sick and nursed us back to health. Fixed our cuts and broken bones when no doctor was around. She also has been the love of my life and I will not stand here and let you run a woman down that has done so much.
I don’t blame you though as much as I blame society. You younger folks don’t realize, that if it wasn’t for these hard working country women, you wouldn’t have even been born. All the food that is eaten in your cities, where do you think it comes from? It isn’t grown in a grocery store. Society has you all so strung up on what you think you need in life, that you don’t take time to enjoy life.
You see that woman singing away in the garden? She is enjoying life, doing what she loves and making every minute of every day, count. When she comes in here in a few minutes, I expect you to treat her with respect, as she will you. I have had my say and these words will never leave this room.¿
With that Reg got up and went outside. I watched as the Grandson’s wife got up and went to the sink. She wiped her eyes and then looked over at her husband. I needed that she said. I just never realized what your Grandmother had to go through, or any farmers wife for that matter. They gave each other a hug and went outside to the garden.
I don’t know what was said after that, but for as long as I can remember, I do know this. They became the best of friends from that day on.
Farm women are a different kind of woman I will say that. As my wife, she has been there for me through all our farming days and without her we wouldn’t be where we are today. The old saying, that behind every successful man is a good woman, can wrap this story up all in one sentence.
So there you have it, a conversation that I overheard, that stuck with me through life. I guess I kind of molded my life around that conversation and I do know that when it comes to country women. I got one of the best.
In closing I would like to wish you well.