Grandpa Frank: On Love & Hard Work

Folks today say love and relationships are hard work. 

I disagree. 

Let me tell you what hard work is…

…it is rising before dawn every day to care for livestock.

…sweating in a field thrashing wheat in the July mid-day sun.

…trudging to the barn through thigh high snow and milking cows with stiff frozen hands.  …hauling milk cans to town with a horse and bumpy old wagon.

…Ma wringing out soaked diapers between making meals and chasing kids.

…her gardening and canning to see us through the winter.

...carrying babies around the house all winter long because the floor was too cold to let them crawl on it.

Making a living and feeding a family was hard work. 

But love…

Love is what we lived.

It was our love that made Ma & I friends, helping one another throughout each day.

It was our love that bred the courage to bring us through the tough times.

It was our love that took turns rocking sick kids at night.

It was our love that provided a shared strength when we were weary.

It was our love that whispered to each other at night when we finally 

put our head on the pillow.

Sweat and toil defined hard work. Loving each other was not work.

And when we were reunited again beyond the grave, it was our enduring love that restored us to each other.

Love is what we chose. 

Maybe think about that the next time it feels like hard work to love someone.