Friday, May 21, 2010

You can’t break ‘em…

I have just finished reading a letter from a grower in Tennessee, and folks it was a sad one indeed. Mother Nature has been up to it again, as the Cumberland River had risen to such high levels that it caused untold destruction to the folks that live near its river bank. This sad story is about a family that raises crops and livestock for their livelihood. Flood waters consumed their home and outbuildings. Barns and hoop houses were washed away and out of sight. A good share of their livestock was lost to the flood waters, and the crops in the fields were nowhere to be found.

In the end, this grower was not sure what the next step for her would be, but assured us that she and her husband would move forward and replant, never to give up.



As sad as this story is, I truly admire their spirit and inner strength. This is not a unique story, as Mother Nature has a way of repeating the process over and over again. What is truly unique in my mind is the resilience and fortitude that makes this family one that all Americans can be proud of…they don’t give up. They have uncompromising work ethics, and they tell the story of the farmer in this country, since our very beginning, who becomes a role model for all of us. Too sad this integrity is not universal.

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