June 2020. How in the world did we get to June? I’ve had many instances lately that made me reflect on the past few months after realizing it’s now June. I have caught myself on more than one occasion asking myself, “Did I really complete that project only a few weeks ago?” or “Did that Zoom meeting really only happen last month?” It all seems like a lifetime ago.  

Since mid-March, I’ve been working remotely, the kids have been schooling virtually and my family has practiced social distancing to the best of our abilities. Our daily behaviors and weekly routines have radically changed. Yet, at the same time we have also stayed on schedule with farming. 

While jobs that I completed from home in mid-March, April and even May seem like a lifetime ago, the growth on the farm indicates life is still happening in real-time.

The bees are buzzing and making collections from blooms that have appeared on time just like previous years. Corn planted in April has transformed from seeds below ground into healthy plants gaining height above ground at the same pace as previous years. The wheat is on schedule as it continues to turn from its vivid green into a golden yellow.  

The progress indicates the wheat will be ripe for harvest within the month — an event that happens around the same time every year. The continued growth evidenced on the farm maintains its place in time and space as in years before. 

These visual reminders show life continues in real-time as opposed to my perceived warp-speed. 

The field of wheat I ride past on my evening bike rides serve as an anchor which grounds me and helps me recognize that while it may truly seem like a lifetime ago, the world continues to spin at the exact same rate it always has.

While the dizzying time spent in the farm office tackling school and work tasks in March, April and May seem like a blur now, the growth of the corn that my husband planted during that same time period serve as daily reminders we are, in fact, still living and operating in “normal” time. 

I’ve always appreciated June, and I think this year will be no different. The month has always served as a gateway allowing me to recognize, experience and appreciate time. Time where I can catch my breath and enjoy more moments with my kids who are now “home” for the summer. Time where the sunlight is available to enjoy for an extended period, and where I can walk through a field of growing corn and feel the wind while hearing a train whistle in the distance. Time where we can stop, sit and enjoy a meal in the field together as a family during wheat harvest.  

While the world around us may seem to be moving incredibly fast, there are constant reminders time has not changed. Seek out those reminders. Find those things that provide evidence that life continues at a “normal” pace and breathe them in. For me, those reminders are always present on the farm — especially in June.

“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.