Family Tradition

As I was working in the kitchen yesterday preparing food for Easter lunch, I happened to hear the Hank Williams song "Family Tradition". It sparked alot of thoughts about the traditions we have in our family as dairy farmers. Holidays of all kinds are like a juggling act with the daily chores of milking and caring for our animals added with the holiday activities. The best part of every holiday is that we are together as a family. 98% of farms in the United States are family farms with real families working together to produce the safest and most affordable food in the world. Today was a bitter sweet holiday, the first Easter without my mother-in-law. One of her Easter traditions since my husband was a little boy was to bring out the small red basket that held the old stuffed and faded calico hen sitting on top of dozen colored plastic eggs. The eggs were always stuffed with candy,coins or small toys for my sons to discover after Easter lunch. I really did not have the heart to bring the old hen out for this Easter and I thought the boys probably wouldn't care since they are 21 and 19 years old. Just before Easter lunch today, as I was welcoming some of our guests in the back door,my oldest son came up to the door with the old hen and basket in his arms. Family traditions are hard to break--next year the eggs will have candy,coins, or toys for the big boys!