What does the Homestead mean to me?

Growing up, I had a childhood that led to my adulthood being very challenging, hard lesson after hard lesson, and fairly unsupported. I was a mother at too young of an age and a bit invisible. A little over a year ago, I started raising chickens again and spent many hours sitting with them, deep in thought. Sitting there morning after morning there was a peace that came over me, I am unsure I have ever experienced. I had been a mother at this point for 14 years and started to believe myself that being a mother was my only purpose in life. As much Joy that motherhood has brought to my life, I knew that there would be a day that my children were not going to need me anymore. I struggled for years trying to figure out who I was?

Besides being a mother.......Have any of you struggled with an identity crisis? It is a very depressing and challenging event to go through.

I have always known three things about myself: I am a natural nurturer, I am artistic & creative, and I always wanted to be an independent! As we have grown our Homestead, we have learned a lot more about what we want for our future. Having a Family Homestead allows us to build a Family. Not a new age digital remastered family but a wholesome small town family. We want to bring back and enrichen our lives as well as our children's lives. limit the technology and teach them gardening, caring for animals and life, normal everyday house chores, and other important values that we all know are important as an adult.

Growing a Homestead is more than just the chores but a lesson of respect and discipline. We are relied on by the plants and animals to provide them with the water and food they need to remain healthy. A shelter to allow them a safe place to live. As well as all the love we can share. Raising the livestock that we have on the homestead has taught us that the more love you share with them the more love they show in return. Now yes we raise a variety of meat livestock for self sustainability. However; we treat those livestock as if they were normal pets, the only difference is we do not typically name the ones we are not keeping. This is a prime example of the respect as well as the discipline needed.

Some day we dream to have a family ran Homestead where we can share our Homestead with the Public. We want to grow a family based on hard work, team work, love, support, and values. I used to focus more on taking kids to larger trips as a way to make memories with them. After 14 years I realized that I want to work harder to make everyday memories. Memories of cooking together, working on the homestead, and talking to them about life. I want to show them respect, trust, and kindness can go farther.