Living on the farm

We’ve been living on the farm for seven weeks now. I can honestly say that I’m loving it! Part of me wishes we had moved earlier. Sure, there are people and places I miss being in close proximity to, but my frequent drives into town for coffee dates, walks, dinners and shopping are scratching that itch.

Two months ago I woke up in our loft thinking about what I had to do before leaving for the farm, what work I’d be doing when I arrived and what I needed to take in order to avoid making a trip back home or to Walmart for a missing item. Removing one of those steps has freed me up in ways I would never have guessed.

I didn’t know the mental toll “living” in two places was taking on me. Some people flourish with that kind of separation. I guess I’m not one of those people. Since moving, my stress level has gone way down. Before there was the obvious financial drain of being in two places at once. There was the rent/mortgage, utilities for two places and gas for one or two trips daily. I knew there would be financial relief. What I didn’t expect was the brain space moving created for me.

Now my free time actually feels free. Before we moved I was afraid that I would have trouble relaxing, knowing all the work that needed doing and that I would be working nonstop. That’s not been the case. I typically do physical work earlier in the day and take a break. Then I prepare social media posts and write in the afternoon and/or evening.

With our son McClendon and daughter-in-law Yessika currently living on the property, we often have dinner together. That’s been a blast. I’m much more relaxed and can enjoy myself, without thinking about when I’m going to the other place. I’m living in the moment much more than I have in several years.

Maybe you can relate. It doesn’t have to be a literal move. But it could be. It could be changing careers or changing your mind. There are myriad decisions we make - some big and some small - and any of them have the potential to bring us peace and contentment.

I’m grateful for the friendships downtown that keep me coming to my beloved Beaton Street. I’m grateful for the presence of animals and crops to care for. I’m thankful for the paying guests who visit our farm, table, venue and retreat business. I’m thankful for the opportunity to live on such a beautiful piece of land. And I’m grateful for the possibilities of the future - whatever that is.

This piece first appeared in Sherry’s column, Finding Myself in a Small Town, in the August 20, 2022 edition of the Corsicana Daily Sun.