Hi Friends,
This month I am reminded of my maternal grandfather, the son of an enslaved woman. He was born in Virginia in 1880, during a very oppressive time in our history.
He found work as a sharecropper until he was able to buy land and establish his own working farm.
He, my grandmother, and their older children worked by hand to clear the land of trees for their future homestead.
They built their home, where I was born, and other essential farm buildings, all by hand.
They planted their vegetable garden, fruit trees, corn field and their main income producing crop, tobacco, by hand.
They harvested all of their life sustaining bounties, that they would eat and take to market, by hand.
And, if they wanted a cool glass of water to quench their hard earned thirst, someone would have had to walk about half a mile to our spring to bring back, by hand. a bucket of cold water.
My aunt, who was also one of my best friends, was the last in our family of that hard working generation. She has now joined our ancestors, dying this past November.
However, what will not die is the important lessons that generation, in all of our families, taught us by example, which help form the answer to the following universal question.
What can I do to support myself and family when all I have to work with is my ability to think and plan, and my hands?
Their answer would be, do not be afraid of hard work. You can accomplish whatever you lay plans for, as long as you have courage, fortitude and the ability to work everyday, consistently to finish what you start.
This was true is their day and it is true today.
Life Notes Plus More 