More Rest, Better Work

Lower Falls Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Have you ever felt you were on a hamster wheel with no way to stop? What if it’s okay to jump off for a moment or more? We more often hear - “Go, go, go…do, do, do…add, add, add.” Could there be a better formula for a balanced life?

Farming has been our occupation for 13 years. Twelve of those years we were “hamster-wheeling” it. Business, childrearing, building a home, health issues, elderly parents… The wheel was going faster & faster, whittling down our strength spin by spin. Everything was a blur.

On the business side, farming in Florida in the summer is similar to farming in the North in winter- pretty rugged! And yet we were breaking our necks to do it. We even patted ourselves on the back for accomplishing it. Yet, truthfully, we were losing financially & emotionally and didn’t even realize it.

After a particularly depressing round of poor summer lettuce, we cleared out the greenhouses, cleaned everything down & dove right in again. Despite all of our hard work, the results were the same. The BIG question: quit or take a break? Thankfully, we chose the second option. We took the plunge and began planning for a month-long road trip.

The month long break was AMAZING! The photo above was the climax of the trip for me. Standing at that indescribable Yellowstone waterfall, an overwhelming peace consumed me. Yes, our work was important. Yes, our work was vital to us. And yet, everything seemed so small in that moment. Life was greater than any of it.

We returned home to the farm with clear minds, completely revived with fresh ideas & ready for the new season. The next year was stellar! Our produce was as beautiful as it had ever been. I’m pretty sure I heard the farm whisper, “Thank you!”