I am the fourth-born in a family of eight, with five brothers and two sisters. Growing up in the middle meant I often experienced life from both sides. Raised in the country, I cherish the unique experiences that came with country living.

We endured a lot of cold weather back then. I witnessed my daddy and brothers slaughtering cows and hogs to ensure we had meat on the table, and watched my mom ground the meat. I feel very blessed and fortunate to have grown up this way.

We had a big garden where we grew all our vegetables and fruits, and we milked cows for fresh milk. We would skim the cream off the milk to make butter. We plowed the fields, made hay, and harvested grain to feed our livestock.

My siblings and I worked hard, learning to appreciate the value of our efforts. These experiences taught us lessons that we carry with us throughout our lives. There truly is nothing like the good old days.