Learning to Work Hard in a Family Setting

Work in my family has been a main focus. We have been working hard since we could walk basically. We always had a garden and pets of some kind. We also have always had a large yard so there has always been work to do. Especially with ten people in my family, there has always been housework as well. Working together as a family brings us closer together. We have spent mornings (as an entire family) depoopifying our front field from our two horses. There are also moments where it would just be a few of us working together. For instance, my Dad works super hard all the time, but he will set aside time to help us take care of the horses. I can’t count the times when he has gone out and helped with the chores because he loved us, and wanted to help us. He would also encourage us to work with him. Mom would do the same. When she would go out to the garden or orchard, she would always encourage us to go out and work/prune/harvest/weed with her. From when I was little we have been involved in working. We have had rotations with dishes (sometimes with a partner, other times, just by ourselves), as well as household chores. 

Another point about work is that you make more memories when working together than while playing. For instance, I can remember more clearly the times when Ashley(a cousin of mine) and I would work together, than when we would play. We would weed, do yard work, clean out sheds full of racoon scat and reorganize it, spend the night at my grandparents cabin and work around the house, yard, garden, and orchard, harvest fruit and vegetables, and just serve others. Those memories are irreplaceable. We didn’t always like having to do the work, but looking back I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to work and grow closer together. Doing so build a bond between us that cannot be broken. That bond has been tested through time, distance, and mental illness, but we have never given up on each other and have always been there when the other person has needed us. One thing that always amazed me about her was her optimism and positivity about working. She rarely complained when we had to work, and would help me focus on the task at hand. She is incredible. 

In my future family I want to have work be a big part of our culture. (side note: I am so grateful that I can create the culture I want in my family with my eternal companion) I want them to know how to work hard and appreciate all that they have been given. I want them to recognize how hard their father works, and how everything is done with love. I want to include them in working when they are young, then it begins the process of learning before they are influenced by the outside world. Also, then as a family, we can be closer and have stronger relationships with each other. Children also just love to help. I want to feed that desire. I want them to always want to learn more and work hard to learn. I want to make work fun, and not a punishment. Work was sometimes a punishment in my family, and so I didn’t always enjoy it, but I would love doing the work as a service. I want to create the culture in my family that work is fun as it helps you grow and become a better person. Then, my children will stretch their abilities, and they will have incredible memories with my future husband, and their future siblings. We will create bonds that cannot be broken. Working alongside each other helps love deepen. Love is the degree we are committed to someone’s growth and well being, and we will all be involved in each others lives and have a strong desire to help each other grow and develop.