YAY green and black!! They are finally here. My two favorite colors, side by side, usually blessing our world in early spring. But not this year. We’ve had to wait, over a month in some cases, to see this beautiful view. As I drive up and down our gravel roads out here in the “middle of nowhere”…I am blessed to finally see the deep black of the newly worked fields, laying in their beauty right next to the vibrant green grass and fully leafed out trees. What a gorgeous sight it is! This morning especially, under the bright sunshine, the planted rows in the fields and the sparkles of the dew in the ditches just grabbed my attention.
I did not grow up a farm girl. It was probably a close second though, living in the little village of Bigelow, MN, surrounded by many farms and fields. Several times in my growing up years I accompanied my dad out onto those farms to butcher a cow or pig. He owned a small grocery store in which he also was a butcher, and we would transfer the gutted animal back to town to finish processing the meat. I spent many hours grinding hamburger, wrapping cuts of steaks, chops, and sausage, and then scrubbing down all the butcher blocks, tables and equipment.
I didn’t know it then, but those were some of the best years growing up beside my dad. He taught me how to work. He also made me laugh. Dad was good natured most of the time, but he wanted things to be done in good time and done right. Sometimes when we were too busy to go just a couple blocks home to lunch, he and I would share some freshly sliced cold meat, crackers, and those great chocolate marshmallow cookies for our lunch. A cold glass of milk and maybe an apple thrown in for good measure. He never cared what we ate as long as we didn’t waste it.
When I was not helping in “the back” of the store and meat room, I had to sort through the fruit to keep it fresh, dust off the shelves and keep them filled, or wait on a customer. Dad instructed me that the customer always came first, no matter how I might feel at that particular moment. He taught me how to count change back to them, taking time to make sure every thing was correct and to their satisfaction. As a teenager, I didn’t always appreciate his expectations, but I knew it was expected. He was a fair boss, but a strict one. He usually would give me some time off if I really explained how important it was to me. We were open every Saturday night until ten PM, and the little main street was packed with cars and pickups. Not so on Sundays. Nothing was open for business on that day, and the sleepy little town rested.
I remember my dad’s response when I told him at eighteen that I needed more money. I had graduated from high school that spring, and he told me that he couldn’t pay me any more, but I was free to work another place if I wished. I applied at Campbells Soup Company in Worthington, and got a job the next week in the boning department. I moved in with my grandparents and walked about six blocks to work. After that first day on the job, my dad called that evening to see “what I had learned”. I had to laugh when I told him that I was going to finish college if it was the last thing I ever did! I stuck it out in that boning room for three summers between college years, and I can’t even tell you all I learned working there. The work was hot, hard, and sometimes almost too much. But when I graduated from college as a teacher, my dad and mom both made me feel so proud.
As Father’s Day approaches, I am remembering growing up beside my dad. After those long days in the grocery store, many evenings would find us at Lake Okabena or Round Lake either swimming or fishing or both. My dad loved to come up under us in the water between our legs and throw us up into the air. We would fly back down laughing and smacking into the water, only to come up asking for more. He loved to build a fire to roast hot dogs or make smore’s, or in the winter to go sledding or tubing in the snow. That old panel truck doubled for not only butchering, but also pulling sleds and inner tubes.
Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there! Most importantly, if your dad is still with you on this earth, reach out to him and tell him how much he means to you. If he is not, then thank God for all he was in your life as you remember him through your tears. If you are a dad still raising children or maybe guiding some grandchildren, give them clear looks into your heart and soul. Be honest, consistent, and patient as you spend time with them. Rewards will come, sometimes it takes awhile, but your time and work will not be in vain.
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