Childhood Dreams

As temperatures reach 95 in the normally temperate Pacific Northwest, I find myself visiting my husband's parent's farm and reminiscing about my childhood summer daydreams.

One of my dreams from a very young age was to be a farmer. My mother grew up on a farm and hated it. I think she sometimes wondered how I could be her child. There were times when I was obsessed with the idea of getting up early to feed the animals, milk the cows, gather eggs, and harvest whatever crops were ready. I could see myself in the shoes of both the city mouse AND the country mouse. I'm sure I was romanticizing the whole idea at the time, and somehow it still really appeals to me.

About the time junior high rolled around, those dreams were replaced by an obsession with the opposite sex. And then there were the many, many extracurricular activities of high school, working my way through college, starting a family, and climbing the career ladder. Childhood dreams were easily replaced with big-girl dreams like getting married, raising a family, and having a career.

As I approach middle age, I think back to those childhood dreams. Which have I given up on? Which have I accomplished? And, most important, which never seemed possible, but are now within reach? Some seem to have happened upon me almost by magic. One of those is the possibility of living on a farm.

For now, I'm thrilled to have a business career I love so much. Thanks in large part to my in-laws, I'm also thrilled to know that living off the land is a dream that's possible. And I'm very grateful that they give me the opportunity to help out at their farm, learn something about living a sustainable lifestyle, and have the experience of being a farmer, even if only for a few days at a time. In the meantime, I'm also enjoying living next door to a farm, where I get to enjoy a view of our neighboring cows.

What would be possible for you if you rekindled some of your childhood dreams?