Cuttin' Wood

The old wood pile was getting low again, so today I got all my barn chores done up early and spent the day in the woods. It was 40 degrees and the sun was shining, a fine day work in the wood. I drove the old Ford 601 down the hill with a wood cart in tow. In the cart was my wife, two sons and "Buddy the dog". As I picked my way down the winding logging road, dodging holes and ruts and rocks, I thought about how blessed I am to live this kind of life. Here I am, middle of the week, middle of the day, working outdoors with my family. Countless legions of dads marched off to the office today. They were, as I was crossing streams and tossing wood, sitting in a room breathing stagnet air. Perhaps they were thinking about the weekend when they might have time to spend with the kids. No sir-ree, I haven't got many greenbacks in my wallet, but I wouldn't trade places with the rat racers for any price. The more I talk to "regular folk" who have "real jobs" and "retirement funds", the more I value this life we have out in the sticks. Sometimes I take for granted all the time I get to spend with my boys. Then I'll be talking to someone who's gone all day and sees the kids for a couple hours before bed and on weekends, and it really hits me. I suppose if its all you ever knew, it might seem normal. I could never do it though. Today my family worked together to provide heat for the house. The boys learned to work hard. They saw there mom and dad working together, subduing the earth, following Gods command. Then they learned the all important, "things don't always go as planed" lesson. They learned what 2 flat tires on the wood cart and a stuck tractor mean. They learned how to walk a 1/4 of a mile. In other words, they learned what it means to live a life worth livin'!