SLOW DOWN

SLOW DOWN

Does it ever feel like the crazy never stops? That you barely have time to breath? I know that feeling ALL too well! This winter has been like a blur. Generally winters at the Bowers Farm are much slower, or so Nate has told me, but this year being commissioned to calve a hundred heifers seemed to consume every waking moment. I thought that as the cows finished calving and eventually left on May 1, that then things would begin to slow. They didn’t.

We jumped from that right into irrigating season, gearing up for our first haying next month. Then we were showing. Then we were branding. Then we were working the rein cow-horse show. Then Nate and Amy left me in charge so they could take a much-needed vacation. And, yes, that was a daunting task.

Know When You Need to Stop

I am a “do-aholic,” and by that I mean that I am very extroverted and like being constantly active. I appreciate checklists a lot because they make me feel accomplished about how much I’ve gotten done at the end of a day. Even when I’m on vacation, it’s very hard for me to sit and be still. Generally, I like to schedule every moment so I can fit in all the things that I want to see or do while I am wherever I am visiting.

This side of me shows up regularly here at the farm. If it’s light out, I want to be doing something. Whether I’m cleaning up, doing chores, or riding horses, there is always something else to be done. For a week or so, it felt like I was on the move constantly, especially concerning my horse Gabe. I was riding him pretty vigorously almost every day. There were a few days where he was loaded on a trailer at seven o’clock in the morning, and we didn’t return from our work until 7 o’clock in the evening.

By the time that week was over, Gabe was looking pretty beat. He had already started getting trim, but by the time Friday rolled around he was beginning to look skinny. That was when I made the decision to give him two weeks off to recover and gain back his weight. I am so happy to say that I just started riding him again, and he’s looking and feeling better than ever!

Be Observant

When life is moving at such a rapid pace, sometimes it’s easy to get swept up in the current and overlook the little things. It is SO important to make sure you slow down and take the time it takes to make sure you are checking the details and following up.

The day after Amy returned from her vacation, she asked me to tack up her horse Maverick for her to ride. I had him all ready to go and was bringing him out to her when she looked at his feet and asked me if I had noticed that he lost a shoe. I had even picked that hoof out and still overlooked it. At my other job, they only shoe the front feet, so I didn’t think twice about it. In my rush, I started moving on autopilot instead of being present to see every detail.

There are a lot of times in life that speed is your ally. Sometimes when working cows, one quick move is a million times better than a bunch of slow steps. On the flipside, however, is remembering that there are many times that being slow is much more effective. While starting and restarting horses, Nate has said to me numerous times, “When you feel like you should go fast, slow down.” There are moments while training, such as when you’re going to put a halter on, or put a rope over a horse, or throw a saddle over its back, that you need to take a deep breath and make sure you aren’t rushing.

Moments that You Remember

My greatest strength and deepest weakness is that I am married to a truly introverted man. Not to brag, but he is the greatest husband a girl could ask for. However, for someone who likes to be constantly moving, being married to him has taught me how to set aside anything that isn’t important when he gets home and create space to just be with him. He is so supportive of me, both financially and emotionally, and I have to honor that by choosing to be there for him when he needs the time to decompress with me at the end of each day.

While it can be difficult to set aside the tasks running through my brain so that I can fully be present with him, it is so rewarding. My favorite times of day are the early morning and late evening, when the light floods over the land like a golden wave. Some of my best memories of late have been sitting with my husband in either the new or dying light of the day, cup of coffee or bowl of ice cream in hand, simply enjoying the beautiful details of the incredibly created world that surrounds us.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading Ann Voskamp’s “The Way of Abundance” lately, and it has blessed me immensely. She writes in it a quote from Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “What matters in life is not what happens to you, but what you remember and how you remember it.” This was such an important reminder to me. It isn’t the things that I fill my day with that make it worthwhile, but the memories I am making with those that I love. The worthwhile-ness is found in the watching of sunrises and sunsets with my hubby’s hand in mine.

Final Thoughts

There is such a beautiful balance that surrounds us. That is why I try my best to always be a “middle-of-the-road-ist.” There are seasons and times for everything. Sometimes it's so important to apply yourself and go at life with vigor and speed, but it is imperative to remember that there are also seasons and times for finding rest. I needed Gabe to be my partner for those couple of weeks while we were extra busy, but these past weeks were his time to just be a horse. The balance is important.

I am a huge supporter of “Sabbath keeping.” For me, this manifests itself with not working on Saturdays, which I honor as my day of rest as part of my religion. However, I have seen and heard of many people who choose to rest similarly on other days or at other times who have received so many of the same benefits. As humans, we aren’t designed to work twenty-four seven. We need rest. Give yourself the grace to know it is okay to slow down.