Going deep to the heart of the matter #heart

My brother and his two little children are visiting again. We find a turtle in the pool as soon as they arrive. The rescue takes the trip to the country off to an exciting start. Once the old turtle is relocated to a nearby creek they check how much the chickens have grown, collect the eggs, meet the new kitten, have a jump on the trampoline and go for a drive to see the new lambs.

Howard is selling sheep, cleaning oats, spraying a crop, registering his truck and doing some maintenance on the machinery in preparation for harvest. He tries to have time with my brother but it’s hard to stop. Another load of straw is prepared for delivery and the crops need checking. Howard spent Sunday doing a course with the Rural Fire Service so he knows how to use the new fire equipment. We meet him in town and have afternoon tea with friends. I am very relaxed and our girls are having a great time playing with their little cousins.

Later my brother and I sit on the front verandah and Chris comments about how it must be challenging to live in the middle of your work environment. There are so many jobs to do and many things that must never really feel finished. It is good to hear a man’s perspective on working and how it must be for Howard.

That juggle between work, family and personal goals is common for everyone but farming families have to show particular understanding to their farmer dad or husband or in some cases wife just because of the pure logistics of the workload.

In a quiet moment I have alone I read an article by Monica Gauci about the inner heart and it is a lovely reminder that love in its purest form is unconditional, uninfluenced by so called good or bad days, and this is ‘our divine nature,’ as Monica explains. The idea that within me is a seed of pure love in its original and most powerful form excites me.  Monicas article has me feeling like I have something very beautiful deep within my heart, I imagine it to be a tiny but vibrant light, and although it is tiny it is a reservoir of hope, acceptance, potential, enthusiasm and joy. I can tap into this anytime and my heart will pump these qualities with love around my body and into my life. 

We can all look at what is hard or what is great about our lives. In our case it is a privilege to be able to live with all the gorgeous nature and space on the farm. Watching my little niece and nephew play happily non- stop for 5 days with no technology in sight, is a big reminder of this. I could also complain about farming and how its boundaries between work and personal time get blurred. But my inner heart doesn’t care for the good and the bad elements. The inner essence within us is alive, awake, smiling and bursting with gratitude. When the heart is open and that deep inner essence is active we ask

’What is great about today? How can I make it great?’

 I have two brothers who I love very much and I feel they live in this way with great attitudes. They are two of the most motivating people I know. Seeing them with their children is like getting to know them all over again. They are both great dads and speak so kindly to their children, as does Howard. Under the tough exterior these men have good hearts and the children they raise are very fortunate indeed.

I look forward to continuing to find ways to be involved in the farm because this will give Howard the space to enjoy all the wonderful parts of his life, especially these gorgeous girls we have been blessed with and all our family and friends who are so good to be around. Together we can create the balance we need to manage well and to love with all our hearts.   

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