**Hannah's latest blog comes in time for holiday gatherings, as she considers the advantages of growing up in the beautiful, tangled web of a large extended family.**
It’s
that time of the year again when we eat turkey and stuffing, fall asleep from
the comatose effects of food, and then wake up, repeat, and maybe sneak in a
slice of that pumpkin pie you had your eye on all day. It’s times like this
when we come together as a family and give thanks for the many blessings of
life.
One
of my blessings has been growing up with a big, beautiful, crazy, loving family.
I have learned a lot in my 20 years, but the majority of the lessons have come from
the people I call my family. These lessons reflect the true meaning of life and
how coming together helps us accomplish great tasks.
This
past year I have been able to experience so much with my family by my side:
get-a-ways at our heritage farm; my grandma’s hip surgery; a cousin's
graduation party; two cousins' weddings and another on the horizon. I’d say
it’s been and will be another eventful year for this clan.
As
I considered these family “gifts,” I came up with a list of the lessons I’ve
learned and the blessings I’ve encountered along the way.
Lessons from Growing Up
in Big, Beautiful, Crazy, Loving Family
Knowing you always have
a support system.
It’s
no secret, the support systems big families have are unlike any other. Whether
celebrating successes or sharing failures, there will always be someone to
support you in the decision you make regardless if it’s the right or wrong
choice.
Some of the best memories
are made when you’re all together.
We’ve
had our share of fun memories and stories. From laughs around the card table to
Grandma’s “elaborated” Mabel stories around the campfire—Mabel was an
interesting neighbor lady my grandma grew up with down the road, but that’s for
another blog—there really isn’t a favorite memory that doesn’t have my family
tangled in it.
No one understands your
passions, talents, little quirks, and characteristics better than your family.
My
family knows me all too well—from my favorite hobbies to my top pet peeves.
They know how to push the buttons just right to get me laughing or sassing,
depending on my mood. Even nicknames come to be from these characteristics. In
our family we have a Sweat Pant Sally, a High Maintenance Hannah, a Betty
Miller, Cowbell, Tree Stand, Sacket, and we can’t forget about the Tribal
Elders. These names are all tied to a story; just ask one of us—you’ll
understand and maybe even share a laugh at the end.
Nothing says I love you
more than family recipes and family traditions.
With
the holiday season rolling around, I can’t wait for my favorite family dishes
and the epic card games that follow the feast. I guess you really do find a way
to someone’s heart through the stomach—at least for my family—then you go and
break their heart when you win a game of Nerks or Euchre. What can I say—it’s a
love/hate relationship.
Learning how to live,
love, and laugh unconditionally.
I
have always been taught to live life to the fullest and enjoy every minute of
this thing we call life. With love comes joy, and laughing follows along the
way as an additional perk to spice things up—unless you’re my Aunt Tassie, then
it comes very naturally and unmistakably. Tassie’s laugh is known to echo
throughout the valley at the Cook Farm.
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| Hannah is a student at Iowa State Univ. and a CAST intern. |
Experiencing the beauty
within compassion and rejoicing in blessings and gifts of others.
I’ve
learned being gracious can take you a long way in life—it’s the little things
that can make a difference. In a family, one learns to appreciate the gifts and
talents others bring to the table. It’s when we share our gifts that we can
enjoy life to the fullest. I’ve learned that I can find beauty within anything
if I take a deeper look—a tree branch maybe a stick to some, but it could be
walking stick used to hunt mushrooms for me. Or if you’re my Grandpa Ralph you
might find beauty in an idea that includes a hip joint, cremation, and a
bowling ball—let me tell you he takes inventions and art to another level.
Patience and Tolerance.
This
is a lesson from Grandma Jeanine—patience is a virtue. Sometimes we speak when
we should just sit and listen. It’s hard to listen without interjecting your
thoughts, ideas, or opinions, but when in a big family sometimes listening is
all you get. Listening is patience—can you tolerate that?
As
the Thanksgiving season rolls around take the time to reflect on your own
blessings. When you count them one-by-one then you can begin to see how you are
blessed with the best. There are many lessons I can share with you, but some
are best told by the ones who’ve experienced them first hand.
Family
Quotes
What have you learned
from growing up in a big, beautiful blessed family?
“I
have learned to be willing to share and celebrate successes and failures and having
somebody always there to support you in the decisions that you make regardless
if they were the right or the wrong choice. Accepting the diverse point of view
from each person and respecting and honoring their beliefs. Growing up with multiple
siblings also helped me learn that hand-me-downs were really not that bad
either.”
-Theresa Pagel
“To
have learned the beauty of compassion and rejoicing in the blessings and gifts
of others. It’s not about the have/have-nots—but rather it is about the
unconditional sharing of those gifts that makes for a beautiful and
compassionate family.”
-Tassie Hendsrud
“Patience
and tolerance. I have learned to sit and listen to others without interjecting
my thoughts, my opinions, or my ideas. That itself takes a lot of patience.”
-Jeanine Matt
“To
live, love, and laugh. Live as long as you possibly can. To love one another
and to be loved. And to laugh like your Aunt Tassie.”
-Rick Pagel
“That
it is like a small community. You will pull together when times are tough.
There will always be someone there through the good and bad times. Bigger is
better in my opinion when you have a family like ours that ROCKS—we are so
blessed.”
-Katie Arthur
“I’ve
learned that your family always has your back. No matter what, I will have some
of my best friends through my family. And I’ve learned a thing or two about
cows and hay bales.”
-Gabreielle Hendsrud aka. Cowbell
“Retweet
^^^.”
-Alexandra Hendsrud aka. Betty Miller
by Hannah Pagel
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