Family Farm Friday #43: Bigger and Better

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost." ~H. Jackson Browne

Well I'm back with another Family Farm Friday (motivated primarially by my mother's constant complaining when I don't have one!) for your reading pleasure.

A few weeks ago while I was browsing through some blogs, I came across one where the writer talked about how she had grown up on a farm, and spent her childhood dreaming of "bigger and better things." Right away, I knew that I had to blog about this.

First off, let me just say that I absolutely loved growing up on a farm. I don't think that there is a better place to raise kids, and I know without a doubt that that place made me the person that I am. So, I suppose there is a slight chance that I'm biased.

Secondly, I will say that I think there is some value in getting away from the farm for a little while---to traveling to different places, to seeing new cultures, to trying new things. I think that people who do these things only come to appreciate the farm more. I know that this has been true for me. And, I understand that the farm is not for everyone. That's okay, because we each get the chance to choose our own path, that's the beauty of life!

But, I think that where the other blogger got it wrong was when she categorized her dreams of the big city as "bigger and better." If you ask me, it's hard to find things that are bigger and better than these....

I feel like I'm just rambling here, but the point that I hope to get across is that while we each get to choose the path that our lives take, I hope that everyone can see the value in each chapter of their own story. I know that I will always treasure the lessons and values that I learned growing up on a family farm. And I hope we can learn to respect the different paths that other people take. In the end, although some people may have dreams that are different, nothing makes those dreams right or wrong, better or worse.