WOW! Women On Writing Blog: passionate about writing

Wednesday, March 09, 2022

The Gift of Laughter

WOW! (pun intended) it's been a bit of ... you know ... a challenge the last few weeks/months. That's about the most politically correct way I could thing of to say it. You know what I mean, right?

No matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you have in savings (do people still do that?) - gas prices are rising, groceries are getting more expensive, and things are just plain weird. There's talk of war on every channel, and I won't even go there and bring up matters of health.

Yesterday, I was scrolling through social media and Dillon, a good friend/family member had posted about fuel prices. Now, as many of you know - we are dairy farmers, so when we talk about fuel, it's not just a tank of gas here or there to get the kids to school or grab a cup of java. I mean, it IS that...but it's also 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year to run tractors and equipment. It's the daily hauling costs to ship milk. It's the price to transport cattle, have feed delivered, and the list goes on. Anyway - Dillon is in the same business we are, so we "get" one another.

I made a comment on his post that maybe he would be stopping by to look at some horse saddles I have in the barn. We had discussed them last summer, and as typical horse people who also have cows, we always intend to make more time for riding but life seems to get in the way. Anyway - I had originally told him to pop in when he was ready and see if anything I have fits his needs. Yesterday, the joke was we might all be needing saddles so we can get to the grocery store as we won't be able to afford fuel for our cars. It was a joke - clearly hauling cattle and taking kids to school is not easily done with a saddle and single horse. If you'd like to try it, feel free to get back to me about the issues you run into.

My comment was meant as a joke - Dillon and his friends took it that way. For a few moments, we bantered back and forth about how it might be difficult to ride a horse to work and our coffee might spill. We teased about where the carseat goes and if it should go in front of the saddle, behind, or if you should just strap it directly to the horse and forego the saddle completely. We envisioned how many horses it might take to pull a cattle hauling trailer and we pondered the looks on the cows faces (and horses for that matter).

Amidst fears of falling milk prices, concern over rising fuel costs, fear of the future, etc... we were able to laugh. We shared funny thoughts and ideas, and were even able to find some hilarious photos. It felt incredibly good to laugh and forget about all those worries plaguing our days.

I'm going to encourage each of you to find something to make you laugh today. Grab a fun new book or pick up a magazine! Spend time chatting with a toddler; or ask a teenager if anything funny happened at school today! Let yourself relax and laugh and see how amazing you feel when you're done. If that's not enough for you, pop on in and I'll introduce you to one of our kissing cows - that always makes me laugh when they come in with that big wet tongue as I try to navigate to safety only to find another cow lapping at my pants leg!

Still not your bag? Ask one of my kiddos to tell you about the baby goat we nursed back to health - the one who was sleeping in the kitchen! There's never a dull moment here and lucky for me - never a lack of laughter!

As our time together comes to an end, let me ask you:

Do you have a funny story that will make others laugh? Share it as a comment on this post!

Can you recall a time when laughter helped you? Better yet, do you have a funny story about a gift? Share it as a comment on this post!

How are you weathering life? Tell us a little bit about your journey and where you are at? What's going on with you friend? Share it as a comment on this post!

Hugs,

~Crystal

About Today's Author:

Crystal is a foodie, farmer, and friend! She has 6 children and lots of special young people who call her "mom" even if she isn't 'their' mom! She starts each day sipping coffee and milking cows with the love of her life and occasionally ends the day with a glass of wine. Crystal is raising kids and cattle while juggling cleaning jobs, bartending shifts, music gigs, her job as office manger and she escapes reality a few hours each week riding horses and reading books (not simultaneously)! And who knows, she may start blogging again sometime soon: http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

In the meantime, you can find her posting pics of food, cattle, and more on Instagram and Facebook!

2 comments crystal otto, mom is a writer, passionate about writing, raising kids and cattle, uplifting writing

Getting Lost and Trying to Get Home

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Here we are, February 2022 (and believe it or not, tomorrow it'll be March!). It's been a long time friends. This post may not be as inspirational as my usual banter - it may even be a bit sad. I'll try to make the sad part quick so we can get to the happy ending. Everyone loves a happy ending, right?

I haven't put pen to paper this year. Until now...

I have been so incredibly lost and I'm trying to get home. You know that feeling when you're driving and realize you've somehow managed to get off course? Your heart rate increases. Your palms get sweaty as you grip the wheel tighter. You turn off the radio in hopes concentration alone will help the situation. That's how I felt in 2020. I felt like the entire year is nothing but a blur. We were in survival mode on so many levels. Cash flow was non-existent, the children were falling behind academically, and we didn't smile because no one could see our faces anyway. Life was full of uncertainty, turmoil, disgust, and fear. No matter where we went or who we spoke to, the unhappiness and heaviness seemed to surround us. Home became our sanctuary.

2021 was the opportunity for a new start - or so we hoped! Didn't we all hope for that? Things improved, but "normal" seemed so far away. Our youngest children didn't even remember a time when we would eat at restaurants or leisurely walk through stores in search of good deals. What they were familiar with was conversations and controversy surrounding mask wearing, vaccination status, politics, and they knew the adults around them weren't in agreement on oh so many things. Sometime during 2021 I got lost. I stopped talking to people. I stopped sharing ideas. I stopped inviting friends to do things for fear of making them uncomfortable. I started doing grocery pick up or Amazon delivery for absolutely everything. I didn't want to go out, talk to people, or engage in any activities I didn't "have to" for the sake of my family.

During 2021 I became so comfortable with my ever shrinking village that I considered hanging up any type of writing at all. After all, I couldn't possibly have anything worth sharing. I missed deadlines. Lots and lots of deadlines. Then it happened - I got a Christmas card saying the following:

Dear Crystal,

You are such an inspiration!

I know it's been another rough year,

but your posts are always so uplifting.

Thank you for all your hard work.

I am so grateful to have you as a friend and coworker...

I sat back and tears flooded my eyes and ran down my face. How could I possibly uplift others when just going to the grocery store or putting on pants was something I avoided? I was a fraud. Couldn't she see I was a fraud? Why would one of the smartest and most talented people I know think I was anything but a depressed hermit?

It took a few days, but I went back and read many of my old posts. She was right - the stuff I had written wasn't half bad (I could definitely be better about editing, but that's not really my bag, but I digress). I made a vow to myself to get back to the person who wrote about positive self-talk. The person who encouraged herself and others. I vowed to get home. I promised myself I wasn't going to just throw in the towel. I wasn't going to be some washed up 'has been' sitting on my couch waiting to die surrounded by Amazon packages filled with books about people who were actually living.

So - here I am... my compass is working and I'm on my way home! Please be patient - I didn't get lost quickly; it was a slow process and I expect the road home will take even longer. And now for the uplifting part - here's the takeaway: Had I not gotten that note, I really was ready to quit writing and sharing. The quick note of appreciation and encouragement from a friend was all I needed to get back on track. Just like someone driving in a strange city - some quick directions written on the back of a napkin can get them back to the freeway so they can continue journeying to their destination. I may still be lost, but I am going to be more mindful about sharing encouragement with others. It just takes a few moments to tell an author now touching their stories are. An email or a phone call can be life changing - we can all help someone get home!