Farm Wife of the Year

A while ago, my dad asked for a favor.  He wanted me to write an essay about my mom and enter it in a  "Farm Wife of the Year" contest.  I was pumped.  a) I love to write, b) I was touched that my dad wanted to recognize her, and c) I couldn't think of anyone more deserving than my mom.  So I sat down to write.  It was tough.  The essay couldn't be more than 300 words, which is hard to do when there is SO much to say about this lady.  But I did it.  I cut it down to 298, hoping that I had captured how much she has given of herself in a job she never expected having.  And then life got busy.  And I was away at a conference when I realized that the deadline was. . . . the day before.  And the essay was on my laptop at home. . .  I still haven't told my dad that I didn't get it entered.  I'm so disappointed and I hope that he's not too upset.  I thought that since it's Mother's Day, I would at least post it so Mom can see what I would have entered.  Dad, I'm sorry that I didn't fulfill your wish.  I'm touched that you thought to honor Mom though; we're truly blessed that God chose her for our brood.  Though she kind of failed on that oldest daughter who can't meet a deadline. . .     

When Mary M. graduated from college, she had big dreams. First: leave Smalltown, America. Second, NEVER marry a farmer. When she was offered a job in (my hometown), her brother encouraged her to accept—stay long enough to get some experience under your belt and move on, he insisted. Of course, life had other plans. She moved to (my hometown) in 1973, and met Mike J. Who just happened to be single. And who just happened to be a farmer. Two years later, they were married, and in 1976, I was born. Mom left teaching to raise a family and help Dad on the farm. It turned out to be a bigger job than she expected. Thirty-seven years and eight children later, she is still Dad's right-hand man. The girl who was never going to marry a farmer learned how to drive a grain truck, keep track of the never-ending paperwork, and bottle-feed a calf. As a mom now myself, I'm in awe of the sacrifices she made. She held down the fort AND the farm, and often went without so her children never did. She has also given of herself to the town that has become her home. She's involved in a local home extension club and numerous committees at church. Every September, she helps ensure the future of agriculture with a softball tournament in memory of my brother, with proceeds going to FFA scholarships for high school students. She's the most selfless person I know; I doubt that I'll ever grasp how much she's given up for us. I'm so glad she fell in love with a farmer almost forty years ago. Her life might be a far cry from the one she envisioned in 1973, but maybe it's because bigger and better dreams came true instead.