This is the story of my humble beginnings.
Every time I see the word "homegrown," I sing the words to this song by Zac Brown Band, and if you know what I'm talking about, you're probably sitting there singing it too. I apologize in advance if that song gets stuck in your head now. Anyways, I wanted to share the story of my upbringing because I know that what I have is special, rare, and not considered "the norm" these days. With that being said, here is the story of my home.
I grew up in the small town of Hustonville, KY located in rural Lincoln County. I was raised on a farm that my dad owned in a partnership with his dad, W.C. Brogle. At the time my mother was pregnant with me, she and my father were in the process of building their forever home, a home that my mom could not envision at first. This was because my dad wanted to build in the back of a field where the land was still barren and looked sparse. It was off the road a little and situated in the middle of a cow pasture. Sounds dreamy right? Yet, it turned out to be the most perfect place to raise their soon to be family of five, and it turned out to be the home my mother always dreamt of as a child. At the time, my parents were living in a little blue house that my late grand-dad built for my mom. My mom wanted to stay in that house and just add onto it; however, when I came along, there wasn't enough room for us all. Thus, my parents decided to break ground in the cow field while they anxiously anticipated my arrival.
The day I was born, my Aunt Sherry videotaped me being shown off by my parents. In this video, there's a clip where my Dad is holding me saying something to the effect of, "Ohhh she's mature." I was barely 10 minutes old, fresh out of the womb, and all wrapped up in a fuzzy pink blanket when my Dad said that. I think it's funny that he said that because people have always said I am mature for my age. It's kind of like he foreknew.
Anyways, shortly after I was born, my family moved into the brand new house, and I began to take my place in our beloved home. My big sister, Katelyn, was thrilled she was getting a little sister. She was eight years older than me and loved me from the minute I came home. However, my older brother, Seth, was a little more apprehensive. He was six years older than me and was used to being the youngest. Although, it did not take him that much longer to warm up to me... we quickly became partners in crime and true pals.
Growing up with two older siblings was both a blessing and a curse. They taught me how to fight, toughened me up, pinned me down, threatened to spit on my face... and actually did sometimes, but they always had my back. When we got older they helped run me to dance practice, school, and friend's parties. Deep down I never guessed if they loved me or not because I always knew that they did. They were my first ride or dies and still are. My siblings were a key part of what made my childhood so great. I owe them a lot, and I am extremely thankful for them (and their spouses who now have to put with them)!
Moving on, my mom & my dad had a lot to do with how my siblings and I turned out and why our childhood was so happy. One of the main reasons why I think we ended up alright (except for Katelyn ;)) was because we had extremely wonderful parents who loved us through our downfalls, patiently corrected us, supported us, and never made us feel unworthy. They brought us up in a house of bread so-to-speak. We had everything we needed: space to run in, a huge piece of land to explore, and beautiful views. My parents weren't wealthy in the sense that we could have anything we liked but we were blessed beyond measure. I never lacked for anything. I never went to bed hungry, and I never wondered whether my parents loved me or not. They were never physically, emotionally, or verbally abusive. They were my protectors and defenders and they loved me with everything in them. Both of my parents worked hard and they provided for us. They raised my siblings and I up in a Christian home and taught us what it meant to serve God. We went to church as a family, we served God as a family, and we lived right as a family. Did they have their moments of weakness? Of course they did, they weren't perfect people, but they always tried to serve God together, and if they had marital problems, we never knew about them.
I owe everything that I am to my parents. They've truly cared for me and loved each other the way they were supposed to. I'm thankful for their example of a godly marriage in my life. I know that nowadays most people can't say what I can about my mom and dad. They have stuck it out through some hard times, but they've never stopped loving or caring for each other, and they have always given me something to come home to. My dad has loved my mom the way Christ loves his church, and my mom has loved my dad selflessly in return. Marriage takes hard work, and they have both stayed true to their vows.
I think that the reason why they have had happy lives and a happy marriage is because they intentionally put Christ in the center of them from the get-go. They started it off on the right foot and have been blessed by it. Thus, I have inherited their blessings. They made good choices when they were young, they worked hard for the home they have now, and they raised three beautiful kids up in a house full of love for God and others. I mean, what more could you ask for? I certainly didn't do anything at all to inherit this blessing, but thank God He saw fit to place me in this world under their loving care. I truly won the lottery, and it is my desire to one day give my future kids the same childhood/life my parents gave me.
As a side note, I think it is important to consider my parents humble beginnings as well. My mom grew up in Crab Orchard, KY while my dad was originally from Garrard County before his family moved to Hustonville. My mom was dirt poor. She grew up in a house of four with her younger sister, mom, and dad. Though they did not have much, they always looked clean and were taken care of. My mother got saved when she was 13 years old at her church's Vacation Bible School which she later told me was a blessing. She came to know Christ right before she went into high school which helped keep her out of trouble. Early on, my mom learned how to play the piano and she diligently worked at it. She was very talented and used her talent to beat poverty. She got a scholarship to the University of Kentucky and attended there after her high-school graduation as a music education major. She was the first one in her family to earn a college degree. Currently, she is our church's pianist. On the other hand, my dad grew up in a household of 6 kids with him being the youngest. He was the son of a second generation farmer and had to help his dad milk and take care of the cattle among other chores. Growing up, my Nana and Dub (his parents) always said that he was an easy going child and that he never gave them any trouble. My dad is truly the best man I know. As far as college goes, my dad did not pursue higher education because he knew his entire life that he wanted to farm. It was his calling. He got saved when he was a little boy outside the steps of Mount Hebron Baptist Church in Garrard County, Ky. Later, my parents met when they were Seniors at Lincoln County High School. My mom asked him to be her homecoming escort and the rest is history.
Now you may be wondering why I am writing all of this down about my upbringing or why it even matters. The reason why is because it's proof. Proof that you can still serve God and have a happy life. Proof that you don't have to do what the world tells you to. Proof that godly marriages still exist. Proof that husbands still love their wives and are good fathers. Proof that you can raise a good family in today's crazy world and be tremendously blessed by it. Proof that God is really really good. I am the youngest of three children born to Thomas & Jennifer Brogle, and I am living proof.
Here in a small town where it feels like home, I've got everything I need, and nothing that I don't. - Lyrics to Homegrown by Zac Brown Band
--Hailey Renee
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