“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
Christmastime and the holiday season certainly can be the most wonderful time of the year. People and businesses take a moment to pause from work and deadlines and reflect on their blessings, spending extra hours with both family and friends. For the majority of the population in the United States the days are filled with presents and food and smiles and laughter. We are so incredibly fortunate to live here in the United States and more specifically in Oklahoma. We have the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world thanks to our farmers and ranchers who work each and every day to provide us with food and fiber. We also have the safest place to enjoy our holidays thanks to current active-duty members of our military and veterans who know that the freedom we enjoy does not come for free. I encourage all of us to take a moment and be thankful during this holiday season for those farmers and ranchers who still wake up to milk cows, check the health of livestock, and keep trucks rolling up and down the road on Christmas day and every day of the year. Farming is a profession of hope and of faith. I am hopeful that during this holiday time, you also remember the true meaning of the Christmas season. The birth of Jesus reminds us that he came to give us love, hope, and joy. For those of us who spend many of our days in a barn, it seems fitting that our Savior joined us here on earth in a manger and was quickly joined by shepherds from nearby fields. During this holiday season, my family and I wish you and yours many blessings and look forward to a prosperous New Year!
