Take two brothers, a year or so apart. They grew up together and are much the same, and different. We entertained our seven year-old nephew for a week and I see his daddy all over, but some of my husband as well.
Both boys grew up on a dairy farm in Texas. When I asked my husband about family traditions at Christmas he answered “we milked cows.”
My brother-in law married a good Christian woman with two lovely girls, they had a son, and he’s owned homes since he was probably twenty years old. He remains rooted in the farming tradition with a modern twist.
My husband trained as a physicist but turned to software. The market was good for a while, busted out and built back up. We stay where there’s good honest work and go if there’s none to be found. We’re renting a lovely small home with a gorgeous view and great amenities but it’s transitory.
It’s hard work to move but all of our worldly belongings are half a country away and at this point, we don’t mind so much. When we get an unfurnished home we’ll bring our stuff. If the world goes sour we’ll pick up and move to the next great job.
So brother-in-law has a family, schools et al. We have the freedom to travel for work or move to a new town. I showed my nephew the mountains this morning, so he could appreciate all he’s had this past week, knowing that next time he visits we may no longer be in this beautiful setting.
But if we’re not, we’ll be in another. We’re temporary, John is permanent. Jim and I together are permanent, a fact that makes the moving tenable.
Their parents allowed each of their boys to be what they could be, and that meant letting them leave the farm. That was a selfless and brave decision on their part. Each went their own way but their roots are in the dairy and hard work and getting things done. The dairy is now a ranch and will be moved because their land will be flooded to serve the ever-growing Dallas metroplex. I love my husband and in-laws, love them when they visit and miss them when they leave. Cheers! Dee
Cooking with Dee 