Remember When

This morning I received an email from my favorite (and only) brother. It was short and to the point, "Remember that time you had a blog. That was awesome." Ah, one of the few people I know who doesn't need a sarcasm emoticon.

Yes, it's been awhile. But I have a decent excuse. It's called Sale Season. I swear something tightened in my stomach when I wrote that, and realized that Sale Season is only 354 days away.

Side note: Each year we help with Mr. Optimistic's family's cattle production sale the third Tuesday in February. They usually sell about 150 head of Hereford and Angus cattle. Then the first Friday in March Mr. Optimistic hosts the production sale of the operation he manages. Here they sell about 100 Hereford, Angus, and Simmental cattle, and a few horses. One year the two sales fell in the same week. It was the first year we were married. Luckily we were still so very much in love. Otherwise someone could have been killed.

Sales are stressful. One year my father-in-law was called to jury duty the day of his production sale. I remember him telling me the story. He said I told her, "Lady, I get paid one day a year, and that's Tuesday." I doubt he called her "lady." It's a pretty small town and this was probably the same lady that cut his hair or runs the gas station...but you get the idea. The point is - I've never had to worry about making the majority of my salary on one day of the year. And I take a lot of comfort in direct deposit. Ranchers however don't have this option. The risk involved is enough to make anyone go a little crazy.

So it wasn't until midway through the sales or perhaps right at the end that I realized how much I love this time of year.

Why?

1) We see old friends with like-minded interests.

2) The cattle are "right." A lot of effort goes into preparing cattle for sale, especially during a hard winter like this one. I can't believe I just said hard winter. All of that effort has finally come to a head. When it comes to cattle, the work is done.

3) It's almost over! Spring is a couple weeks away and it's time to grow more cows.

Mostly though, it's because we pull together. We get things done as a family. Sometimes out of necessity, but mostly because we like each other and the work. If my husband was a surgeon I couldn't show up at the ER to lend a hand. How lucky I am to work in an industry where everyone in the family can get involved. I'm thankful to have a Sale Season that reminds me of that.