Winter 2023/2024 Issue - Magazine - Page 30
Learning About
Life From the Pigs
There are all sorts of ways a farm wife cares for her family—oftentimes, giving up herself in the process. That’s true of most
mothers, but certainly of the farm woman, who has to deal with
so many other avenues of farm family care.
So when does she have time to care for herself? Here are some
strategies she may have learned from the pigs she helps raise:
Who better than a pig can
teach us that a clean house is overrated? They just live their lives—
knowing their home is a pig sty, and don’t make excuses for it.
Maybe it’s because a hog’s life is much shorter than ours, but they live it fully. They take advantage of chances
to soak up the sun, enjoy a good run through the sprinkler and a
long drink on a hot day--and they never turn down a chance for a
refreshing mud bath when the opportunity presents itself.
They know if you’re going to do the work of
having one offspring, you may as well have several. With all those
nursing piglets climbing all over and competing for a meal, they
just lie there and know it’s going to be awhile. Our world needs the
patience of pigs.
Hogs were far ahead of their
time, knowing nose rings were cool long before we did. They also
know that when they go out to strut their stuff—even if it’s just
their back side—a little swagger and a little curl never hurts.
Hogs are always rooting around trying to find
whatever treasures lie beneath the surface. There is wisdom in that
for us, and on many levels.
No hog worth its weight ever willingly
ran through an open gate unless it was to escape the pen. The
world may call us to go in a certain direction, but we owe it to
ourselves to escape that thinking and go our own way.
Sometimes that hog is going to get through the gate
no matter who is guarding it. Sometimes you just have to decide
to go for your dreams ... because there may be wonderful things
waiting for us on the other side.
The squeal of
a hangry hog can be deafening. When you have something to say,
squeal until someone listens to you.
Hogs can be found lying almost on top of each other at the end of the day, no matter what
the day has brought. As hog producers—and people—we need to
stick together, learn from them how to let things go and love on
those who are near or important to us ... before they, or we, are
gone.
I do wonder sometimes what hogs think when they step into a loading chute, unsure
of what’s ahead. But eventually they step into the trailer and leave
this life behind them. When our time comes, we could follow their
example and step into the next life with no regrets—not clinging
to this life, but embracing the one that’s ahead.
30 WomenincMagazine.com
By Karen Schwaller
Finally, you know you might have what everyone wants, but remember the breakfast mantra of the pig and the chicken – “All
give some, and some give all.” Though pigs have to give all for our
delicious breakfasts and dinners, remember that all good things
come at a price.
We should always remember the cost.
(Karen Schwaller writes from her farm near Milford, Iowa. She is
a freelance writer/columnist and humorous/inspirational rural life
speaker. Visit her website at www.karen-schwaller.com.
Contact her to speak at your event at kschwaller@evertek.net