chairperson, Grain SA
It seems as though life is getting faster and faster, accelerating as we grow older. When we look at our kids and the younger people, they know more and get more done than we did at their age. Sometimes we struggle to hold on. This is especially true for producers, who over the past few seasons had to deal with rains coming late, drought that just would not give way and less profitability.
Maar op ’n boer se plaas is daar altyd hoop.
Jy hoor gereeld “volgende jaar gaan ons beste jaar ooit wees” of “as ek net nog so ’n bietjie kan leen om volgende jaar weer te plant”. Produsente is aartsoptimiste en ons sien altyd uit na ’n beter toekoms. Tog is daar tye dat daardie hoop nie realiseer nie en dan moet ons dit kan verwerk.
Around the end of the year during the holidays we tend to relax a bit more and have time to reflect. We reflect on all the challenges that we had throughout the year and realise that we have come through them. It’s not necessarily the outcome we had anticipated, but somehow we survived.
In hierdie gejaagde lewe mis ons baie keer die mooi, omdat ons ’n sekere doel voor oë het. Ons vergeet soms dat ons gesond is en geloof en wysheid het. Ons vergeet dat ons gesinne, ouers en vriendskappe seëninge is wat nie gekoop kan word nie en wat nie afhanklik van ’n goeie oes is nie.
During this time of being less busy, make time to count your blessings. Think of everything you have, what you have received, and how God has looked after you this year. Thank Him for that, but also thank the people around you for the contributions, support and guidance that they have given you.
May God bless you in this time of celebration. May He bless your farm, your people and your endeavours, and may you be thankful for all that you have received!
