Give thanks for helping hands

Helping hands. Thank goodness for those who are willing to help others.

It’s summer time in cattle country and that means a host of activities are happening on and off the ranch for cattlemen and women.

Kids are working with their livestock show projects. Everyone is trying to squeeze out a hay crop, cattle producers are busy hauling water or moving cattle to different pastures – or unfortunately to the sale barn. And moms and dads are trying to scheme up a family vacation before the school calendar year officially kicks off.

What gets overlooked sometimes in the summer months are those people that are willing to help make it all happen. The neighbor that helps your kids with their 4-H projects, the grandma that takes the little ones swimming while mom and dad finish in the hay field, the local business owner that clocks out early to go help a young producer build fence. It all counts. And we have to remember to be grateful for those people in our lives.

Brian and I are blessed with good friends, family and people we do business with. This isn’t uncommon. We live in a region of the United States where giving someone a helping hand is second nature and man I’m glad of it. We also are part of an industry that doesn’t blink at adversity. For generations, those in agriculture have put their heads together, divvied up the work and pushed on.

Thanksgiving is traditionally the time to give thanks for our blessings, but as summer winds down I encourage you to be present in the moment and realize the great gifts of time and talent some of your “helping hands” have given you.

Then do what feels right to you to thank them. It could be a simple handshake of thanks or a kid’s handwritten note. Maybe a steak supper would suffice or spend some of your own time and talent helping them in return.

Whatever it may be, take the time to appreciate one another and give thanks for the people who make summer what it is.

– Codi Vallery-Mills