” My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.”
Being a rancher's child can be both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because it creates hard work, ethic, integrity, and good strong values. It's a curse because you only socialize with animals. We can't call in sick to work or take a vacation. It is 24/7 for life, we have to keep on working no matter the circumstances because we don't desert our job. My parents weren't scared to give me responsibility, they knew I was capable of doing work. Dirt under your fingernails was no big deal and a pair of boots were your best friend. We understood how to have dignity and respect. We find peace by going out in the middle of a pasture and watching the sunset while counting cattle. Ranching teaches us what life is all about. We understand that there will be bumps in the road and that life can get hard, but we see past that at the reward of taking care of something besides ourselves. While being a rancher’s child can be both a blessing and a curse, it's a wonderful upbringing that I would wish anyone to have. You learn to appreciate things more in life and to be happy with what you have. You don't complain because things could…show more content… He was depending on me to take over the ranch when he was unable to in the future, but for me, I had never really thought about who would be the caregiver on the ranch after my parents became older. I was young, innocent, and unaware of how difficult it was. As I grew up, there were many times my dad was not able to make it to music programs or family holidays because he had to put his job first. Every time he lost livestock, he lost money. The ranch put’s food on the table. The ranch payed the bills. We rely on the ranch to support our family. My dad is my role model. He encourages me to stay strong and never back down during hard