Thinking of you Grandma…

There are experiences in life that I think help define the person you turn out to be.  Most people will say that those experiences have come from their parents, and to larger extent I would have to agree with that.  But a part of the person I am, and values I have, are from the summers I spent on the farm with Grandma and Grandpa Verly. 

I look back at those weeks I spent on the farm and realize that there are things about me, and my interests, that I would not have picked up any other place.  Here's a few examples:

• My Work: Maybe it was fate, chance, or some other power that landed me my first job out of college at Minnesota Corn Processors, but my entire career has been tied to agriculture to some extent.  My first 8 years were in corn processing and the last 9 have been in milk processing.  I don't think my desire to stay in this type of engineering would have been as great if I hadn't been exposed to what happens at the foundations of these industries – the farm. 
• My Values: When I look at the core things in what I believe in, I'll admit some of them have changed over the years.  But the important things in what I believe have not – especially the value of hard work.  Dad always pushed this value, but I could see how his appreciation of doing your best was passed onto him from watching Grandpa interact with Ed, Pat and Don those summers on the farm.  A lot of the arguments (ok… emotionally charged discussions) were really at the core of the message, that you always try to do the right thing.  Knowing that at the end of the day, that you did your best, means that every day was in some small form a success (even if it doesn't feel like it).
• My Future: Now when I look at my children, I see the things I want to make sure are passed down onto them.  From the value of hard work to knowing there is nothing better than apple sauce from the farm.  There will be little things that Grandma and Grandpa taught me that I will make sure get passed onto the next generation.

Thank you Grandma (and Grandpa) for taking the time those summers to teach me things that I use and value to this day.  I love you very much.