We live in a world that sometimes seems so very superfluous and superficial. It makes me wonder if some very important aspects were left out through the years as each generation was driven to make life easier for future generations to come. Did it make us all happier? Did it make us healthier? Did it give us more mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial stability? Or, did it just give us more options on how to take the path of least resistance. Sorry, I’ve had Covid and the extra time gave me way too much time to think. I won’t go into my opinions, but I will share with you where the wanderings of my mind took me.
I was thinking about how choosing the path of least resistance may be the easiest, but it is definitely not the best in the long run. It started me thinking about my friend Norma Ricke. She’s the mother of six children. Well, now with all of those children married, that number has doubled. Then of course those children had children and I believe the current count of grandchildren is 26. No, it does not stop there; one of the grandchildren is married and the mama of a couple of babies. You don’t have to get far into a conversation with Norma to understand that she stays present in their lives, all of their lives.
Besides taking care of the home, she’s a business partner with her husband. She is also the caretaker of a multitude of animals; she’s the first on the list when someone in the area has the need for a petting zoo. Now all of this is awesome, but I say it just to assure you that she is a busy woman and has not chosen the easy path in life.
What is beyond awesome is who she is. She’s herself! She loves abundantly, cares deeply, hardworking, trustworthy, funny, easy to talk to, always interested and interesting, grounded spiritually, and she’s fueled by common sense. Having the same allotted time as the rest of us, she fits it all into her 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week life.
Did I mention she is also a quilter? She is, and after making some I Spy quilts for her grandchildren, she took the time to make one for the children of the library. It is beautiful, we appreciate it a lot, and we are going to have so much fun with it! She is such a good example of someone who has made the choice to live good, not easy.
I also thought of the many people who do choose to live life and give it all they have. This weather made me think of calving season and all those out there fighting to find those babies and keep them alive. There are those who have cleared the roads so that people can safely get to where they need to go. There are those who stand watch over our electricity, law enforcement officers always ready for the next call, medical workers taking care of the sick, teachers going above and beyond just teaching, and grocery store and convenience store employees selling the necessities. The workers who show up, work hard, and don’t give up. These are the people who keep America going. These are the heroes, the ones making the difference. They have not settled on taking the path of least resistance, and their strength reflects their choice. They are the backbone and lifeblood of America!
I grew up in a small town, and like most small-town youth, I thought it would be so much cooler to live in a city. I did eventually end up in a city, and yep you guessed it, I missed living in a small town. Returning to small-town living is something I’ve never regretted, and I’m so glad we landed in this small town. Writing for The Gyp Hill Premiere gave me a condensed compilation of the history of the area, and the people who settled here and kept the community viable through the years. One of these families was the Rickard family. Little did I know during the times I talked with Dub Rickard about some story, that years down the road I would become acquainted with one of his grandsons, Arron Small.