We often don’t take the time to think about where all the food came from, especially when we sit down to eat it! Fresh vegetables and fruits are delicious, but we pay the price for them, the largest is to the farmer’s families!
To the farmer’s families, the sacrifice is great, that of a father working long hours and sacrificing his family time, either not realized or soon forgotten as we eat our food.
That is just the reason that the wife of one farmer decides to share the truth about her husband’s work on the farm after her difficult night trying to get the kids ready for bedtime.
Katie Spence Pugh, the Farmer’s wife was completely drained after a long hard day working, followed by an evening of looking after the kids, again without her husband’s help! Eugene her husband was, as is always, working his usual long hours in the fields and although his wife was frustrated she had a light bulb moment.
Katie went on to Facebook to let out her thoughts about the whole situation:
“I snapped this picture the other night at the end of a long day.
I was tired. I was irritated.
I had sent my husband a text telling him that I knew it wouldn’t make a difference, but I wanted him to know that I was feeling fed up with how much he works and with all that I have to do every day by myself.
The full-time job, cooking dinner, bathing kids, weekend trips without him, keeping up a home – you name it, I was resenting it. I have to have these little moments once (okay, several times) throughout planting and harvest season.
Then this happened.”
For Eugene, it really was the hardest time of year, with all the work he needs to do, but he had to keep on going for his family and the business.
Eugene wasn’t at all angry with his wife’s text, but simply sat down calmly to eat, for a little quiet time after a long difficult and wearing day doing all the farm jobs.
“He came in, fixed his plate and sat down to eat all alone. He was tired. He was hot. He was exhausted.
Rather than complain, he said he was sorry I was tired and felt that way.
Charlotte joined him and talked his head off and even ate most of his dinner. He didn’t complain. He shared, and it hit me. Do I wish that we saw him more than an hour or so a day? Yes. But, the love he has for his craft is something to envy.
Farmers work in a thankless profession. It’s always non-GMO this and organic that, and let’s not even talk about the stress from Mother Nature.
This is a man who is working to uphold four generations of blood, sweat and tears and showing his children the value of hard work and discipline. So while I felt frustrated, I really should have felt thankful.”
“I got to sit down to dinner and hear all the stories from the day with the kids. I got to give them a bath and hear their squeals and giggles. I got to snuggle and love on them for three hours more than he did. He is the one sacrificing, not me.
We will keep on keeping on until the next rainy day when we get a few extra hours with our hard worker. In the meantime, the next time you slip into that comfy cotton shirt or eat delicious farm fresh food, thank a farmer.
Where would we be without them?”
WIthout families like the Pughs then we wouldn’t have the fresh farm produce that we eat every day!
Even if things get difficult for them, Katie and Eugene will have each other to lean on for support – there will be no more frustration in their home.