Hey everyone on Hive! Hope you are all doing great today! 👋
Okay, so the alarm didn't even get a chance to bug me this morning. I was up way before it like 4:30 AM. Still dark out and you could smell that earthy, kinda sweet smell from the jasmine in the yard. I snuck out of bed so i would not wake Elena, grabbed some coffee you know the strong, black stuff and headed out.
We have got this little farm, about five hectares smack dab in Lanao del Norte. It is been in the family forever so it is not just a job it is like... part of who i am you know?
As im walking the dew's soaking my boots already. The rice paddies are all spread out like a green and brown quilt catching the first light. The rice plants are still babies but they are swaying in the breeze promising a good harvest later on.
My grandpa used to say farming's like talking to the land. You listen to what it's telling you, take care of it, and it takes care of you. I have been hearing that since i was a kid, following him around learning the seasons and all that.
It is hard work no lie. Planting season? Forget about it. Long days bent over in the sun planting each little sprout. Weeding's a never ending battle, those weeds just won't quit! And the weather? typhoons can ruin everything in one night and droughts just dry everything up.
But even with all that there is something awesome about working the land helping things grow. Seeing those rice plants go from tiny to big and full of grain? It is like wow nature's pretty amazing, and we are part of it.
I get to the paddies and start checking everything out water levels bugs you name it. I touch the leaves feel if they are healthy. It's my morning thing, connecting with the land saying "I got you."
The sun starts climbing, and it gets hot and sticky. I wipe my forehead and look around. I can see my neighbors in their fields working with their families. We are all in this together you know? We love the land and we are trying to make a living.
Farming's not just a job; it's a life. It is about knowing where you come from, thinking about the future, and enjoying what's happening right now. It id about working hard, dealing with stuff, and finding happiness in the little things like a pretty sunrise, the wind in the rice a good harvest.
As im walking i just feel thankful. It is not always easy but is a good life, a real life. And as long as i can i will keep working the land honoring my family and taking care of the next generation...