Well, actually, not my front porch. More like my office. But I’m hoping that one day soon it would be from my front porch. I’d go into that, but that would take a whole other post, or maybe another blog…and perhaps a marriage counseling session or two.
But I digress.
An amazing thing happened to me this week. Sometime over the weekend, someone stumbled across a post that I had wrote two years ago: “How to Spend 10 Years Married to a Farmer.” I remember writing it as if it were yesterday, but it definitely wasn’t yesterday. Boss Man and I are now closing in on 13 years of marriage, and just celebrated 15 years of being together.
This is what happened Monday:
Consider my mind blown…completely.
Yes, somehow more than 100,000 people decided that something I had wrote was worthwhile reading. Are you kidding me?
In fact, I received messages left and right from people who saw the post shared, including this one:
I love the “whatever” part!
So while it was cool to see my traffic have a crazy jump like that, it taught me one of the most valuable lessons in my life: You never know what speaks to others, but if you never speak at all, they will never hear you.
You can quote me on that.
I am not a professional writer, it’s a hobby. I don’t write about things that I don’t feel passionately about, and I speak from the heart. And I write when I should be sleeping, doing laundry, washing dishes, name it.
You don’t have to be in New York City to make a difference, you don’t have to work for a large publication, you don’t have to have years of education. You simply have to have a message and let someone hear it…well, or read it.
I live in rural North Dakota, and the world is my audience.
It can be yours, too.
Wag'n Tales 
I read the first post this week when it went viral. I’m a farm wife, so of course it spoke to me. But THIS post is the one that’s golden!
Thank you! It’s been one heck of a week!
Just started following you and really enjoy your “from the heart” posts!
Thank you! It’s easiest to write when my heart is in it.
Hi,
I am one of those who saw your post and shared it on fb. My husband and I have been together seven years and on the farm for nearly three, but it has always been his goal to “get back on the farm”. He works for the neighbor but ranches himself. I am responding to this due to your location. I, too, am in rural North Dakota and was curious as to your location. I live in New Rockford, well, rural NR and my husband ranches out of McClusky.
I am not sure why it hit, but your blog/post hit home and made me want to reach out. I wonder every day how I do what I do and yet see others doing more or less and wonder how they seem to get it done with so much grace. Lol I am very frazzled most of the time when it comes to getting everything done and fitting in time for my children and husband while trying to find even ten minutes to myself.
A new follower,
Katie
Sent from my Windows Phone ________________________________
Hey, Katie! I live in southeast North Dakota, near a little town called Monango. (South of Jamestown on 281) And trust me, being frazzled is most of my day…it’s why I do a written blog, not video! 😉
it was a great post (10 years married to a farmer) and it spoke to me as a farm girl!
Thank you!
I read it too, as my daughter shared it on Facebook. It spoke to me as we are struggling to finish up our harvest. It is my daughter and Son in laws anniversary today and it will be my husband and my Anniversary on Monday, and yet the only celebration we can think of now is just finishing up a long harvest. Last night my husband slept one hr. and just took a little nap after breakfast and is going out to get things rolling again. I feel more like housekeeper, maid and go-for, than wife during harvest as we have hired help staying with us and we never have time for even a five minute private conversation as we are always with others, unless you count the four hours hubby crashes in bed most nights. I think we will survive however, as we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.. So thanks for all you share that we can relate too. I will definitely follow your blog now. My daughter and I both blog as well…but posts are a bit far and few between right now.
I understand completely! In fact, it’s one of the reasons that I blog, so that I can communicate with others regularly. Good luck with harvest, and congratulations on your anniversary!
How fun is that??? I saw it circulating several times on my Facebook. 👍Well done!
If was fun! Thank you!
This is awesome. It was all over my Facebook, too!
I was so surprised to see it traveling so far, so fast!
I too am a new follower! I just got married two weeks ago and my husband found it and shared it on my Facebook wall and I’ve been following you ever since, reading your older posts, catching up! I love reading your stuff! My husband is too a farmer and we have been together for just over six years now and I told him I loved that post and I’ve been following you ever since!! I love your insight!
Thank you for following! It’s been an absolute blast! What started out as a way for me to communicate and cope has become a great tool to reach out and educate. I am amazed everyday by the people that I’ve been able to meet!
A friend had send me the post about 10 years and like the others it hit home…hard!!! My “farm guy ” and I have been married 16 years and boy what I would have given to see that post then. I like you, have learned a lot in the past years being married to my small town Ontario farmer. Now after all these years I am truly blessed to see what our son and I have. We have the best hardest working amazing man in the world. Farming in the blood and it is truly refreshing to get a wonderful perspective on this dying breed of hard working individuals. I am a new reader and will definitely keeping following. Keep up the amazing job you do and thank you from the bottom of my heart :).
Another ranchwife here… a friend sent me the link on FB and I just finished reading it outloud to my rancher husband. We both LOL’d several times… most of all on the anni-birth-giving. Our Anniversary is July 3rd– first cutting! My birthday is November 7th- shipping calves! Looking fwd to reading more. Blessings to you and yours!