As we celebrate Thanksgiving amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I realize how it is easy to let this get you down at a time we want to be with family and friends. Some of you might even ask, what do I have to be thankful for this year. This has been a year of frustrations, concerns, fear, anger, disappointment, relief, panic, and a search for the truth based on facts. We have been on this roller coaster ride for the past nine months. However, we must remain focused and positive even as we long to get back to the normal we knew. We do have many things to be thankful for this year.
We have jobs, we are planning for the future, and many of us have gotten to know our family members better than ever. Some transitioned into simpler lifestyles, less frantic schedules and hurried driving time, and more home-cooked meals and family time. We found out what is most important. I hope that during this Thanksgiving, you take time to find all the things you are thankful for in your life. I encourage you to find a happy place and reflect on 2020 and think about what you may have done differently than in past years. Think about how your mindset has changed regarding this pandemic. Ask yourself what I can do to make my community a better place to live for my family and neighbors.
My happy place is Flying H Ranch in Bluffton, Texas. Owned and operated by Mr. Eddie Holland, a retired county agent. My son, Troy, and I have been going to Flying H for fifteen years for our deer hunting trip. Initially, I went to take Troy to a safe place to deer hunt and not worry about someone shooting us. However, as the years passed, I learned that this was a special place that allowed me to escape the dizzying pace of my work at Clemson University and focus on my son and watch him grow up. The Flying H Ranch is in the Hill Country of Texas. The scenery is amazing, and the deer are more amazing. I got to sit in the deer stand with Troy for hours, watching nature and empathically listening to my son’s questions, joys, and concerns. I watched the ranch staff pay attention to Troy and help him learn and grow. At night it gets so dark that you cannot see your hand in front of your face. So, it made a great time to sit by the firepit and tell all kinds of stories or just listen to nature and look into the skies and watch the stars.
As Troy grew older, I loved the place because it was a place I could go and reflect on the past year. It gave me a safe place to think and ask what if. As I got to go to stands by myself to film deer, I could talk to God and explain what was going on in my life. Eddie is an animal scientist by education and profession. Over the past twenty years, I was able to view nature and watch in real-time how his deer management program was working. To see the improvement year after year is a wonder and an enormous accomplishment. He shares this with Troy and I each year.
For one week, I drive over 2,000 miles to go to a place where I can escape and enjoy life. It gives me time to recharge my batteries and determine what is important and what I should let go of. It reminds me that a greater power is in charge, and we need to work within our environment to improve the earth and those who live on it. There is no doubt that the Flying H Ranch is much better today than it was fifteen years ago. Eddie has made a difference on his ranch, but more importantly, he has made a difference in many folks’ lives like mine and Troy’s. So I ask you to find your own Flying H Ranch to recharge your batteries, gain perspective, and make your community a better place to live for you, your family, and those around you.
As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Extension. I wish you and your family a very happy and safe Thanksgiving.
