Life Lessons

Sometimes Life Lessons are so hard to learn.  I’m not talking about simple ones, like don’t pull the dogs tail, or keep your fingers away from that door.  The hard ones.

I’m not sure how to teach my kids about life and death, especially the death part.  We have lost several friends over the past year that are close to us and who are kids know.  My Skeeter Bug is continually asking about these people, their deaths, and “Mom, They are in Heaben.”  (Yes she has a tough time with ‘v’) she will tell me.   So I think that she understands some of the concept of they are a long ways from here.  But does she get that they never will be back at our house for coffee, or pick her up and swing her so high in the air its like she is flying, or make it out to explore Montana with us?

1017072_10151428360896277_1241575382_n

However, being only 3, how much can they really understand at such a young age?

 

Today we had to put down Nora’s horse, “Ringo.”  Now although he had only been ridden bareback by her and wasn’t quite broke, this horse was Nora’s horse.  If you asked her she would tell you, “Ringo is MY horse.”  It broke my heart to have to put him down today, I’m awrful.  I’m a sap, we have only owned him for 7 months, but I have such a hard time with those types of things.  He was hurting very bad, he must have taken quite the fall or something out here on the mountain but there was no coming back from it.  The Rancher and I did our best to explain that he was hurt very bad and would not be coming  back.  She said her goodbyes but does she really understand that he isn’t going to be in the corrals to greet her anymore?  She won’t be able to feed him grain anymore?  That he will not be the first horse to come up to her in the pasture when we are picking wildflowers?

IMG_20140329_160621

I have no idea if she understands it.  How early do you explain these things?  Life and Death is a major part of life for ranch kids, it is everyday living.   This parenting this gets tough by the day, its the best part of my life, and by far the hardest.   But currently we are outside, the kids are playing (together and not fighting…write that down!), and I am writing this blog and working.  So the day has a sad tone to it, the sun is shining, kids are laughing and birds are singing.

Wishing you all a fun adventurous day!

2 thoughts on “Life Lessons”

  1. This picture is Doug to a T. I miss riding on his bike and going on bike trips. I miss him coming over to our house to borrow something or just for a meal. I miss him cleaning off the snow from my driveway. He was always helping someone. I also miss having a Bacardi with him. We always ran out but now the bottle seems full more often. We all lost a wonderful friend. You have such a wonderful way of expressing your thoughts to all of us through your blog. Thank you for sharing this picture on your blog it also hangs in my house. I feel a little like Nora, hard to understand. Miss you all. Sending Love.

Leave a Reply to Kris Lawien Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.