Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Today I'm feeling grateful for this recent aerial shot of our family's dairy farm; click {here} to read all about it. {Photo credit: Land O Lakes}

My recent visit three-week stay has me thinking about time.

Here's how it looked in 1880 or so, when the timber barn was built, so many yesterdays ago. This house is tucked away in that grove of trees toward the top left of this birds-eye view; the timber barn burnt in 2001.

I grew up in this homestead; it's where my brother Paul still lives. Isn't that so cool? I really have loved going home over the years even though most of my memories involve lots of work and stress with very little time for play.

Farm work truly never takes a break, especially on Wayside Dairy.

I do love how Einstein's quote encapsulates time,

but it also has me thinking about stress and anxiety.

Stress is from the past; anxiety is about the future,

but in reality, today is all that we have.

Just today. Right now. The present moment.

I've learned that getting stuck ruminating on the woulda, coulda, shouldas of yesterday wastes our time, except for the time it takes to digest the lessons, take that momentum and move forward into the future. We've survived 100% of the stuff that's come our way for almost 160 years now.

Sometimes it's hard to let go. I get it.

But it's important for our wellbeing.

The worries about tomorrow that can create anxiety, those what-ifs can be paralyzing if we let them. But since we're not even promised tomorrow, those worrisome what-ifs are usually a poor investment of our time. Instead, what if we put that forward thinking toward setting some rich goals for those hopes and investing in creative, innovative ways to farm.

To plant seeds of hope.

To nourish it.

To keep it alive.

So it's not only crops that are cultivated on our family's farm.

Five generations and today, our roots are still strong.

How it will look tomorrow, only time will tell.

But we continue to harvest hope, come what may.

What matters most is whom we choose to unwrap the present with

and what we do with that incredible gift;