It’s kind of funny when you look at my Instagram feed and you see all of the fashion and football posts and them BOOM, I am at a pig sale rocking a Heffernan Genetics tee and a baseball cap. Some might say that I am reliving my stock show years, but what it really shows is that I am proud of where I came from.
Now don’t get me wrong, my childhood was more than just showing pigs. I played volleyball and participated in many other non-agriculture activities. My parents are divorced so I juggled going back and forth to different homes, keeping my grades up, and (sometimes) doing my chores. All of these things are situations in which I am extremely thankful for. It has taught me many lessons and prepared me for unexpected events that are just apart of life.
The hustle and bustle of being a mom and wife can sometimes be a daunting task. Especially during football season when your husband is often stressed and everything that needs to get done falls on your shoulders. Sometimes it is nice to step away from the madness and just take a trip back home.
Many years ago, I was in the third grade, and my dad and I went shopping for my first show pig. We ended up coming back with two, a black pig and a white pig (Crossbred and Yorkshire) named Cookies and Cream. My Dad grew up showing so he knew what he was doing and was hopeful that my sister and I would learn the same lessons and responsibilities that come with caring for an animal. We didn’t know if we would win or not, but I knew that my Dad wanted us to learn life long lessons.
Over the years we were pretty successful and found pride in watching all of our hard work pay off. Oftentimes, my friends didn’t understand why I didn’t go to the football games on Friday nights or why I rarely did anything on the weekends. The truth was my parents had invested so much into these silly little pigs, that if we didn’t get our business taken care of at home, every single pig would be gone the next day. That meant, feeding them, walking them, cleaning pens, and bathing them often. We didn’t get dinner until they did and we treated them like the kings and queens that they were.
Now some might read this and think that it sounds like child abuse but it wasn’t. Both of my parents were hard on us as children and for that I am grateful. They taught us the skills that we need to be successful. We learned that if you lose, you work harder the next year. We learned how to manage our time and quickly realized that if your chores weren’t done, there were consequences. They instilled a strong work ethic and held us to a high standard that never wavered. We learned the importance of integrity and how to stand up for what we believe in. Throughout my life I have learned to believe in myself and put all of my efforts into something that I am passionate about. Showing livestock has shown me that if I am determined, dedicated, and passionate about something, you can accomplish great things.
I have always been proud to say that I was raised on a pig farm. However, my childhood and upbringing are not the only things that define me. I have grown, as a person, and branched out into different areas of life. I grew up knowing I was going to be an Ag teacher. I went to school for Agricultural Education and spent my first two years in education teaching Ag. I decided to move out of agriculture and into special education when we made our latest move, and I absolutely love it. It has taught me patience and compassion for students who truly have a difficult time. Seeing the look on their face when they finally “get it” is my version of a big Friday night win. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and my childhood, along with my experiences in life up to this point, have shaped me into who I am today.
