How blessed I was to grow up secure
In the midst of a family, strong, loving and sure
There were aunts, uncles, and cousins to the south and the west
And as neighbors, as well as family, they were the best.When I started to school my brother and I rode past Uncle Floyd's yard
So it was natural I stop by with my first report card.
Uncle Floyd loved to kid and before long he had
Convinced me my A+'s were totally bad.All my Uncles were kidders so I always knew
About my shortcomings as I grew.
Uncle Jim always told how I read a book sitting backward on the seat
As the mules pulled the planter down the row without missing a beat.
And Uncle Press often suggested I sit on my side
When Wes and I went for a ride.My favorite season was harvest time
My dad, Uncles Floyd and Jim shared a combine
So lots of family came to share the operation
And lots of food needed preparation
When the combine pulled down the road
My excitement was on overload!
My Mom was a wonderful cook
And I often marvel at the stamina it took
To be a farm wife and cope with farm life.Holidays were fun times, too, I'll tell you why.
Harvest work often occupied Fourth of July
But we usually managed to buy
Some fireworks, play kitten ball or have homemade ice cream
And that conjures up some memories supreme.
And I bet Rodney can show you a scar
From the momentous Fourth we fell off the horse into the barbed wire!
(It was his fault)Thanksgiving was always with some of the clan
Even when the snow was so deep that my Dad had to plan
To put us in the wagon and cross the field with zeal
To Aunt Edith's house for a bountiful meal.
Christmas the family often gathered, and the best time of the day
Was after we gorged, when everyone would play
Rin Tin Tin. Then we'd pull back the rug
And the Uncles would jig to the tune of Little Brown Jug.
Remembering that family gives my heart a tug.Every summer I looked forward to the Omaha relation
Coming to the farm for a bit of vacation.
It was lots of fun for the kids, but sometimes we would fight.
What my Mom put up with was out of sight!
Once when we were staying at Aunt Maude's, she got really uptight.
She set us all down in the living room
And with a switch in her hand she lowered the boom,
She paced back and forth telling us America would soon be at war
And then we would learn to appreciate each other more.
(How right she was!)I loved Aunt Maude, and she was the only other
Who could cook even better than my Mother.
When you ate dinner there, the table near groaned.
And we all ate and ate till we truly did moan.
After dinner Uncle Harry had to nap on the couch.
Then later the men and kids would head for the Monkey Ranch.
When we got there the men would give us the slip
And when I got older the boys gave me a tip,
That behind the barn the men had a little nip.
Now we might call it an "after dinner sip".There were sad times too--before I was born
Almost all the families had a baby to mourn.
Infant mortality was an everyday thing
But that did not make it less devastating.
That generation suffered the great depression and drought
They lost land and property and lived without.
During that time Aunt Ollie lost Uncle Rob
And headed for California to find a job.
The Wilsons had already followed that bright mirage.
But the rest of the family held fast,
And hoped for "two cars in every garage".They had already come through WW I and the Spanish flu
And , sadly, before it was through they had lost one brother (Earl)
And were denied another, (Bill)
Then WW II brought on more hardships and fear.
1945 was an especially bad year
Uncle Jim and my dad were burned in a harvest tragedy
And a few weeks later my brother was lost at sea.
The family gathered to offer support and sympathy
And I was touched when Aunt Win gave me her new hanky.
Then in a few weeks she was gone
And our family was left with sadness, even though the war was won.In spite of all the adversity
The Bailey's came through with tough resiliency
Times improved and our childhoods phased out,
The next generation was out and about
My generation found our own dragons to fight
But we had a sound foundation of honesty, hard work and right,
And we carried with us the Bailey propensity for fun.
That trait has helped see many battles won.
I could go on reminiscing about the past,
But inevitably this thought would be my last.
When I think of the Baileys my pride has rebirth
Because I know we're all descended from "The Salt of the Earth".