A tune-up for relationships [Dairy Star Column]

Last week’s unseasonably warm weather has a lot of farmers I know thinking about spring fieldwork. Equipment is getting looked over to make sure everything is in working order. We just brought our tractor into the shop for a tune-up.

Likewise, we recently put our budget through a tune-up, too. When we ran the numbers for our cash flow report, we confirmed what we already suspected: 2016 will require very careful financial decisions and, even then, it will be a challenge.

As dairy farmers, we spend a lot of time and energy making sure everything from equipment to budgets to herd health is performing the best it possibly can.

But when was the last time you tuned up your relationships? Engines aren’t the only things that need small changes every now and then to make them work better.

I always thought that Glen and I had a good, solid relationship. But then a friend of mine was telling me about a book she and her husband read. Then another friend recommended the same book and I thought maybe I should look into it. It’s not a new book, but it was new to me.

Glen and I each read the book; and we’ve been discussing it ever since. We realized that in every relationship, there is always room for improvement. No matter how strong our relationship, we can always do a better job communicating our feelings and showing appreciation for each other.

The book we read is called The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts. Gary Chapman is the author. [Read the rest of A tune-up for relationships here.]