Travel though the farmlands and you will no doubt encounter that unmistakable aroma which inevitably leads to the comment, “Was that you?” from some joker in the car. 

Yes, as spring approaches, crops are planted, and flower beds prepped, there will be lots of natures’ fertilizer in use.  At this time of year, I recall one of my first jobs working in the Sears Garden Center, loading bags and bags of peat moss, topsoil and yes, lovely grade A cow manure into people’s cars and trucks.  Sure, there was the occasional busted bag that found its way onto, and into, my clothes…or face, but hey, I was working outside in the sunshine and the physical labor got me into probably the best shape of my life.

And that’s the thing, manure will happen, life is going to dump it on you when you least expect it and in quantities you may think you can’t carry.  But remember, like the manure used in the fields to fertilize and help grow abundant crops and beautiful flowers to feed and nurture us body and soul, the kind life can dole out can also help us grow as individuals.  It’s part of life that not everything is clean and neat and sweet smelling.  Things can go sideways sometimes, you just have to believe in, and look for, what positives can come from them; how it will help you grow into a stronger, more beautiful being.  The same is true for life at Freedom.

When the economy fluctuates, when pandemics arise, when systems falter or we as humans simply make mistakes, it’s how we react, how we learn, how we adapt and improve, that makes us stronger, keeps us moving forwarding and growing to better serve our members, each other, and our community.  There are all sorts of clichés; “anything worth having is worth fighting for”, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, “everything happens for a reason”, and so on.  These may have some truth to them, but they can also be meaningless in the moment.

All I can say, from experience, is giving up doesn’t work.  Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away or resolve it.  Instead, I say, take that manure, spread it on the field, and let something wonderful grow.