Today was a day that started in one of the best ways for my farmer husband and I. Our third child was honored this morning as a student of the month in his high school. While celebrating his accomplishment, something dawned on me that I want to share.
Students for student of the month are selected from varied departments in the school each month. My son decided to take a drawing class as an elective this year as he enjoys drawing and is an extremely creative person. His art teacher approached me a few weeks ago in the local Walmart (we live in a small rural community) and proceeded to praise my son for not only his quality of work but for his quality of character. It is humbling and endearing to hear someone speak so highly of your child. I was appreciative for her kind comments and made sure to share it with my husband and my son.
My son was chosen for student of the month by the creative arts department and more importantly, his art teacher. You might be asking how this connects to farming? I realized this for myself just today as she was speaking about my son - how who he has become is driven by where he has grown up and what he has grown to love.
Every drawing project that my son has turned in for a grade had one consistent theme running through them, and his art teacher said it best this morning. What makes his art so powerful is the personal story behind it and the narrative it generates. You see, my son has chosen, on his own, to draw pictures of cows.
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Some may be thinking ... cows??? Yes, cows, and the result has been magnificent. His drawings have been hanging in the school display case for three months and today we learned he will be featured in a showcase in the spring. My son has found a way to show the beauty of farming in a completely new way for us as a family.
Personally, I have been stunned by his talent. But I am his mother.
Today, I learned from his art teacher that I am not alone. His pictures are touching people and provoking thought in some who may never have considered a cow to have beauty. Every day, I learn new ways to communicate with others about what we are doing on the farm and how much we truly love what we do. My gracious, humble son, through his art, has blown my mind.
