Dear Ladies in Agriculture,

Find a quiet spot. Take a deep breath and read these words.

You’re awesome. You are special.

I don’t know how your day was but I can bet you that it was a lot like mine.

Making time for the husband.Wrangling Kids. Paying Bills on a Tight Budget. Helping with Summer Work. Working a Town Job. Grabbing Groceries. Making appointments. Sending kids to camps. Sending the kids to Grandmas. Stressing about what the future looks like. Stressing about the finances. What to cook for supper. Making it to a meeting that you volunteer on.

On and on right?

It never seems to end……..

Somedays I feel like giving up. Somedays I never see the end of the tunnel. Somedays I think that I will just “give up.” Some days I feel like I am the only one. Some days I feel like I have no friends. Some days I wish the sun wouldn’t come up so that I can stay in bed. Some days I pray all day.

On and on right?

Ever feel that way?

Ever feel like you’ll never see the light at the end of the tunnel?

Lady, you are not alone.

We all want the feeling of a “well done”.

We all want to feel important.

We all want to accomplish great things.

We all want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We all want our family to be happy and healthy.

Some days it all works out, right? I mean when…..

The laundry is sort-of caught up,

The cows are moved to their summer pastures,

Branding Day is over,

Haying is all done and the bales are moved to the stack yards,

When someone notices what you did for the day,

When the dishes are all done,

When the kids have been getting along,

When you have enough money to pay the bills.

Yes, I totally understand. These kind of days sometimes only come randomly.

But guess what……

It is okay.

Some days I feel unimportant, irrelevant, tired.

Some days I want to give up.

Some days I think I am the only one having issues.

Some days I think that I am a failure.

Some days it is easy to look around and wonder what you have to show for yourself.

Some days we have to grin and bear it when another person compares their successes to ours.

I am here to tell you this:

You are awesome. You are not the only one. Do not give up. Behind the messy bun, baggy eyes, no make-up, theres a very strong, gorgeous, smart lady.

Your successes and my successes may look different but that doesn’t really matter, what matters is that we know what our own successes looks like and give ourselves credit.

YOU, yes You, we all need you.

You play a very important role as a wife, a mom, a teacher, a banker, a house keeper, a ranch/farm managers, a chef, a vet, a bus driver, a referee, a counselor, a friend, a community member, a personal parts run lady, a secretary and equipment driver.

Then there are days when we all can add ranch hand, cowgirl, horse trainer, feed crew, nurse, janitor and maid.

You are important.

You are the best asset that the Ag community has.

You are not a fill in.

You have a purpose.

You have a place.

You are important

You know that saying:

“Behind Every Successful Rancher/Farmer is a Wife Who Works in Town”?

I do have that sign hanging in my office at the feed store, but I think it should say “Behind Every Successful Rancher/Farmer is a Lady Who Works Her Tail off and I am dang proud to be!”

I think it is safe to say that we all agree that it takes a team to work together to achieve success, especially in the Ag community.

My ending thoughts Lady, is this:

Everyday be proud of who you are,

Know that what you do every single day, might not be on the cover of a magazine, or spread around on social media, but they are significant and important.

Everyday take time for those that mean the most to you.

Everyday take time to do something for yourself.

Take another deep breath, think of all the great things you have, smile, and Shine On.

You’ve got this and I have your back.

If you need an ear to listen, give me a shout. I really mean it!

With lots of love and Prayers,

Naomi

An Open Letter to Ranch Bronc Riders

Dear Ranch Bronc Riders~ You are awesome!!

Dear Ranch Bronc Riders,

Thank you for having the desire to climb on ranch broncs in front of a crowd week in and week out. Like so many others – I LOVE RANCH BRONC RIDING.

You see, the world of rodeo is looking at YOU and YOU are changing the rodeo scene.

You are breathing new life into the west. I mean, ranch bronc riding isn’t a new event. Cowboys and cowgirls have been riding ranch broncs long before any of us were around. But now, you are in the arena spotlight.

And, I think that is awesome.

But with this spotlight comes a few responsibilities. I mean, did you really think I was going to stop there? No, of course not. But hear me out because while the world is watching, including my sons, you need to remember a few things:

The west was won on hand shakes and words. So if you enter a rodeo you better be there. If for some reason you cannot make it, make sure to call the producer and let them know.

Be a good example. Yep, I know that’s what your mom said, but I’m here to tell you the same thing. There are people watching your every action. So please tip your hat. Use ma’am and sir. Open doors for the ladies. Watch your mouth. Respect your elders because the next generation is watching. And you know what – we need the next generation of kids to want to ride ranch broncs.

Be kind to the judges. I know. I’ve been on the floor of the arena adding your scores up to show the announcer, and I don’t always agree with their scoring either. But guess what – life isn’t always fair. Scores are one person’s opinion for that 8 seconds. If you don’t like the score, be understanding, use it as motivation for next time, and move on. Really – try it. P.S. Make sure you thank the judges.

Be on time. That is it.

Be respectful. Show respect to those around you – the bronc, the stock contractor, the other contestants, and everyone.

Be humble. We can all work on this.

Be tough, but play fair.

So as I finish this letter, I want to leave you with this:

As you live the Cowboy way, please remember that you may not get the draw that you want or the score you deserve, but you are a HERO in someone’s eyes. While the world is changing around us, you help reassure all of us that COWBOYS/COWGIRLS still exist.

Sincerely,

Your favorite fan.

I want you all to know that this open letter is not only for those that currently ride ranch broncs, but also for those that have a desire to ride ranch broncs.

Dear Ladies in Agriculture,

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