By Shelia Grobosky – Marketing Brand Manager – Dealers & Public Relations
Depending on where you are located geographically this month, your news will likely vary. If parts of the U.S., like where I live, you’re probably like me – thankful for the rainfall, but tired of dumping the rain gauge. And yet, we are praying fervently for our friends that are drought-stricken, fighting fires and wondering if they need to sell cows now, wean early and start feeding hay with hopes that rain is on its way.
In agriculture, we are taught the value of doing hard things. I was reminded this earlier today when I had to take my parents’ 11-year-old dog to the vet to be euthanized. This was not how I envisioned using vacation time as an adult, but as he was the link to my dad, who passed last summer, I couldn’t expect my mom to take care of this blind, deaf diaper-wearing house dog who no longer had a quality of life. Thankfully, my dad had raised me to take care of animals, and do the right thing, and I knew that putting this dog out of his misery was the proper thing for him and my mom.
So, this month, I decided instead of recapping the news, because I’m sure most of you are aware of the rising input costs, midterm elections and the basketball player who wanted to share her “agricultural” habits with our Russian friends, I would encourage you and challenge you.
Edgar A. Guest wrote one of my favorite poems a century ago. Perhaps you had a former 4-H leader, FFA advisor or coach share this. But in today’s ag world, I thought it would be fitting to share too. Don’t worry. I’m not going to share poetry every month. But in light of the state of the world, I wanted to take two minutes this month to encourage you all with the following. Have a great month!
Don’t Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, but the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many failures turn about
When we might have won had we stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out –
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
You can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.