I have found my mind wandering through my families history and thoughts of my childhood a lot over the past couple weeks. While searching through years of pictures of my grandma, visiting with family about her influence, planting our gardens, browsing through greenhouses and buying baby chickens (YEAH!) I've found myself thinking a lot about my past and the future I hope to have. I think about what memories I'd like my children to have...and what type of life I want them to live. I think about my desire for them to be responsible...to have responsibilities around our home. While growing up, I knew that I had a whole family of people who were depending upon my ability not to screw up...not to give up...and who definitely needed me to work hard and pull my weight. I grew up in such a way that I had no choice but to be empathetic with those around me...realizing that this world did not revolve around me...that there was much more to it than that. Not only did my family depend on me, but our animals did too. If we didn't feed the dogs, the birds, the horses...they had no way of doing it themselves...I gained a sense of responsibility...a sense of obligation. I was very young when I started to "work". We never got an allowance...never got paid for doing chores...we were part of the assembly...it was not an option...it was a requirement. We learned what it meant to be loyal...learned what hard work was...learned that quitting was not an option, because there was no one there to pick up where you gave up. We learned to make the best with what we had...cleaning 50 pheasants may not seem like much fun to most...but we found things that made us laugh...things to look forward to every time we stepped into the picking room!! We created bonds and found love and support in our family members...the way it's supposed to be. We learned to appreciate an afternoon of fun...and also learned to never, ever say "I'm bored"!
I read this quote recently and it resonated with me :
"If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders." ~Abigail Van Buren
I think we are living in a society that is greatly lacking in this regard...children don't need friends, they need parents. As kids, we were allowed to make decisions and mistakes...but we paid for our mistakes and learned from them. No one handed me anything on a silver platter...I didn't have lots of toys...no telephone or television in my room. Our backyard was our playroom...we played farm and school...not Playstation. Family was our focus...we were part of the equation...part of the solution. No one around us had much time to be a savior...so we weren't allowed the privilege of messing up our lives and having someone there to make everything better. We lived on what we had...and made the best out of it...nothing fancy, nothing flashy...we definitely were never keeping up with the Jones'! We had a life filled with love, trust and adulation...what more could you ask for?? What more could you want for your own children?? I know I couldn't ask for much more for mine. I look at my children and see what my mother must have seen in me...the want for them to do better in life that I have done...to have better and to be better. But I can definitely say that there is much of what we had that I hope to duplicate. I want their lives to be surrounded by love, respect and adulation...responsibility and empathy. I want them to have their head in the clouds...but their feet on the ground...and definitely responsibility on their shoulders. So...how could this recipe possibly tie in with that...I have no idea...besides the fact that I brought it to a family function and it was well received!!! It's another quinoa recipe...one you should add to your list of must makes for this summer!!! It's great as a salad, but also as a dip with tortilla chips!! Hope you enjoy!!
Mexican Quinoa Salad
1 1/2 c water
1 c quinoa
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, chopped fine
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can black beans (rinsed well)
1 c frozen corn, thawed
1 tsp cumin
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4-1 c salsa
1 T olive oil
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
Salt water, heat to boil in a medium sized sauce pan. Rinse quinoa, add to boiling water. Reduce heat and cover, cook until liquid is absorbed, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
When quinoa has cooled, add remaining ingredients and refrigerate. You can serve it immediately, but the flavors will develop more if you allow it to cool for an hour or so.
My mom and grandma were right...a little hard work didn't kill me...it built me up and gave me wings! Hope you enjoy the recipe and share it with your family!
Well done and well said, again Billie Jo!
ReplyDeleteIt seems natural that children need to know they are important and what they do matters. That while they may have a small body, what they contribute to family life is vital and important. Is that a sense that many young people are looking for these days, a sense of belonging? A sense that they are unique and important? One or two generations ago there was no question of that, each family member had to do their part. Is it possible in our attempts or desire to give our children an 'easy life' we have in some way made certain elements more difficult for them?
I like this recipe. I only know you from class, when you were a student, but, your personality then and now comes through in your writing. Enjoy what you say and you write well.
ReplyDeleteaaron...bendeschaad
Just re-reading this post Billie Jo. Thanks for expressing your insights. As Seneca said, well done and well said. You write from the heart. Please keep on writing.
ReplyDeleteAnd to Seneca, WELL DONE your-own-self!