A Writer's Adventure

There is one very special gift that God granted me at a very young age and that is my connection to animals. Throughout my life, I have observed so much about the lives of animals that I have come to strongly believe that these creatures of God are not all that different than humans. They have their stories to tell that are vital to their safety and their continuation on this earth. I believe that listening to their stories told through people who best understand them is one way that we can save and protect all animals from extinction. Animals, unlike humans, always seem to be very compassionate and understand when you are in pain. They are such wonderful gifts when you are hurting. However, most wild animals prefer to avoid humans. Most do not want to hurt anyone. They just want to raise their families and pass on their traditions to their young just like we humans.

But I also believe that the majority of children and young adults learn about hard work, character-building, justice, morals and values through stories that are often told through the mouths of animals. Thus, for years, I have been wanting to write stories about the animals I learned to love in order to help our young people learn to be wise and not foolish. To not fear mistakes and failure, but to embrace them as a learning tool for growth. 

As a teacher, I have worked to guide my students to embrace their fears of failure so that they can take that leap into success. It is my belief, that without failure, there is no success. Too often I have heard such negatives words from my students, such as "I'm stupid," "I am too dumb to learn this," "It's too hard for me."  Through my own personal experiences, I learned that embracing my fears to overcome them is one of the most difficult things I have ever done.

I was also fortunate to teach high school students for twenty-one years. My expertise was in the areas of theology, business and computers. Teaching students was one of the thrills of my life and I will never forget all of the experiences, both good and bad, that helped me become the person I am today. Along with teaching, I coached for twelve of those twenty-one years, and that in itself, was quite revealing. But times change and people move on.

One thing I have learned in teaching, is that too many of our young people today are out-of-touch with the hard work, dedication and commitment it takes for the food they desire to reach their tables. My fear is that in the near future our family farms will become extinct. That I hope never happens. I believe that one of the ways to prevent this from happening is through the education of our youth.

After graduating from college, I had a strong yearning to learn more about God, so I took a break from teaching and headed to St. John's University where I majored in Systematic Theology. What a trip that was! Besides learning so much about the bible and religious history, I also learned that God's truth was there for the taking if one truly wanted it. In school, my friends and I were not afraid to test the waters and on many evenings we got together to celebrate the Eucharist, which did not set well with the monks at the University I attended. But so be it. Those celebrations were powerful experiences where I came to realize that no religious institution owned the right to break bread with friends and family.

The pictures below are of the Little Family of Kittens that I write about. Today, only two have survived. Farm life can be tough on animals. Curly Jo and Larry still visit our house, though Curly Jo, like in Book two, never leaves the safety of the house.  Larry is braver. But here's the amazing thing about animals. Last spring, after being gone for over a year, my Little Moe Jo returned. He was waiting by the back door for me. He recognized me and was anxious to come inside for a visit. We spent quality time reconnecting, but I knew that he would be off again once his belly was satisfied and his longing for home had been satisfied. I'm wondering if he will make another appearance this spring. Curly Jo had her first litter of kittens, producing six little ones.  Today, only Moe Joe, Jr. and Silver and Gold are still alive. Since Curly Jo has little interest in exploring the outside world, she has been fixed. One set of kittens in the house was enough.

Nickie is now four years old but his best friend, Riley, had a heart attack and has left this world for greener pastures. But, my nephew has a new black lab puppy named Charlie.  It will take awhile for Nicky to accept the new pup. He is quite jealous of the little squirmier.

If you ever have had the chance to observe animals, they are simple amazing. The compassion I have experienced from animals throughout my life is one of the many reasons why I turned to writing. I realize that growing up on the farm was a very special and unique gift given to me by God.

My family is awesome and today, we all still live or are connected to the farm of my ancestors. Living life on the farm is not always an easy one, but it sure is a tremendous gift. I have been truly blessed by all the people and animals that have been a part of my life and for that, I give thanks everyday. One of my closest friends is Tammy Pierson. She is my reader. The fun we have reading out loud together in the Winnebago Library or Mr. C's is wonderful. She has truly been a gift in my life as well as my other four female friends: Karen Marsh, Carol Conderman, Sara Hoolver and Claire Winters.

The reason why I have chosen to write about farm life and my experiences, is that today, so many people, adults as well as children, have not been as fortunate as I to have grown up on a farm. Many have never had the opportunity to lay down in the green grass at night and gaze up at a star-filled night sky, So amazing to see how enormous our universe is. It takes my breath away. 

I never realized how blessed I was until a friend of mine came out on the farm and we had the opportunity to walk through the open fields. It was awe moment in time, and I will never forget the words uttered by my friend as we stood on top of one of the hills on the family farm. "I cannot believe how far we can see. There's nothing but miles of land. This is simply amazing!" Yes, living in the country is amazing and something that I hold as a precious gift given to my family by our Creator.