Still Capable, Still Useful, Still Connected

I don't get to ride and be in the thick of the action nearly as much as I used to. Most days I’m in the side-by-side with two or more kids, or at a desk making plans and doing paperwork, or simply handling the million little things that keep a ranch running in the background.

I love this part of the job. But I do sometimes miss the role I used to play. I've never been a top hand, but I could hold my own and get the job done. And I miss those days from time to time.

So every now and then, when I get to saddle up and be right in the middle of it all, I soak. it. up. These are my favorite days.

I LOVE the sound of cattle bawling, dust in my eyes, friends and neighbors laughing and visiting while they work. I love getting to show my kids that Mama can still do it. That I can run numbers AND run a vaccine gun, that I can sit behind a desk AND I can sit on a horse and gather cattle, that I can be useful making decisions for the ranch AND get down and dirty in the labor that makes it all possible. That balance is important to me.

Life shifts and roles change, but it feels good to know I can still step in and pull my weight when it counts.

I have to remind myself that there’s value in the work I do behind the scenes, just as much as there is in the saddle.

But on the days I do get to ride, I’m reminded that I’m still capable, still useful, and still connected to what makes me really love this life. And that feels pretty darn great.