Livestock, tractors, heavy equipment, and all that life on the farm had to offer me in my earlier years, has profoundly impacted my life in numerous ways. There's no doubt that caring for and maintaining the animals and the multiple pieces of farm machinery taught me lessons that I still benefit from today.

Things were so much simpler in those days, and certainly I had a lot less responsibility than I do now. But as I reflect back, I am reminded of the variety of roles and projects in which my dad involved me and my sister and two brothers. There were many times, to be sure, that I felt my dad was being awfully tough on us kids. He was not one to let us out of our chores, even if we had a pretty good excuse. I guess you could say he was really good at holding our feet to the proverbial fire, if you know what I mean.

Working with Dad on the farm gave us plenty of opportunities to learn and practice responsibility. At the time, I know my response to all that work and responsibility Dad was heaping on me, was not always the best. I am afraid that I outwardly objected, or inwardly groaned, at his life training far more than I care to admit. But, hey, I was just a kid! What can you expect?

Now you might think this is where I discovered "Life Change 101." It is not. It really was not in the heat of that fire, but years later when I was raising my own children that I slowly began to understand what Dad was attempting to do all those years ago. What I didn't know then, but I do know now, is that my dad was just trying to prepare us for life. Because Dad knew us so well, he also knew he could not afford to back off, even when we protested. How grateful I am to know that my dad cared enough to teach my siblings and me the important and difficult lessons of being responsible and taking responsibility for ones actions, which are so very vital to us as adults.

You know, when you think about it, my dad left me an awesome legacy in teaching me the value of being responsible, among the many other equally important principles that he imparted to me. I can only hope and pray that I will one day leave such a significant legacy for my four children. I choose daily to be live the principle of responsibility in my own life. I do my best to model responsibility, and take it on with an attitude of joy and enthusiasm, fully anticipating a positive end result. I look forward to the day, in the not too distant future, when a new generation will begin and hopefully, the legacy will continue.

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