Working with Family

Working with parents and siblings and in-laws can really, really suck. Hell, I have yet to find anything more stressful than working cows with my dad, except maybe fighting with my ten year old about brushing her hair.

Every operation is different.

Every family is different.

There are no one-size fits all answers to succession planning or manual for working with family.

It's freaking hard on everyone involved.

I choose to focus on the positive aspects of raising my kids on my family's ranch with my husband, and my parents, because to be honest, no one wants to hear about the negative parts and quite frankly, it isn't anyone else's business whether or not I flip my dad off in the corrals behind his back or call my husband a jerk when he makes me mad. And honestly, if I only focus on all the hard, painful, frustrating things that I can't control, I will lose my mind and my heart and throw in the towel on this shit show lifestyle.

Everyone always comments "there's no better place to raise a kid" or "it's hard but their is nothing else I'd rather do" until shit hits the fan and we get honest about the hard stuff.

I'm sorry that some of you are in a hard season, or have had to call it quits or do something else because of family. We've been at this almost fifteen years and it's been a hard season from day one.

I hope you know you aren't alone in what you are going through, and I'd like to say all the damn tears and cuss words and sacrifices are worth it, but that remains to be seen.

I pray that someday, passing the ranch or farm won't have to be a source of pain and agony for families, because no one should have to bear the burden of losing a place because they couldn't get along with their relatives.

It's a damn hard life, but a good one. Even when it sucks. I hope you can carry on if your heart is really in it.

❤️Richelle