I love this picture of a team of horses working together to get a job done. Not a matching team, yet the significance is that they were united in their goal. Differences made them stronger, but an equal yoke was paramount. Work was empowered with purpose.
The Binder tied the oats together, just like a Dad binds a family together. Everyone has a purpose; everyone is needed to make the whole family complete. That’s how it works! Nobody is insignificant, big or small. I couldn’t drive the team, that was Dad’s job; but I remember stacking shocks of oats taller than me. I remember the awe of watching those shocks eaten by the threshing machine and spit out as small kernels of grain. That small grain was lifeblood. Its impact was tremendous. Horses ate it whole; cows ate it made into a cake; and we ate it for breakfast.
Being “itchy” from the chaff was the worst, but I don’t remember ever crying about it, it just was! When you are small getting to help means a lot. Being part of the family is important. Our family was as diverse as this team of horses, all sizes, shapes, and ages. Yet Dad and Mom bound us together as one.
Eventually we all grew up and went separate directions. But the nucleus that bound us never dissipated.
Hard work was cherished because of the fruits. Teamwork was understood. Leadership was recognized as essential to a well-rounded healthy, balanced lifestyle. Character was treasured as an individual quality. Significance was given to all.
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