By Kevin Williams
I've been spending many Thursday evenings this summer at Chrisholm Historic Amish Farmstead south of Trenton, Ohio. Â The farmstead is part of the Butler County, Ohio MetroParks and they have weekly nature programs for children. Â It's a great way to get out of the house, get energetic Aster doing some outdoor exploration and crafts, and I love spending time in a place so deeply steeped in Amish history. Â For this was the site of a once pioneering and ambitious Amish settlement and, silly as it sounds, when I sit on the front porch of the farmhouse and feel the summer breeze blowing through the trees, I can almost channel those early settlers.
While Aster was engaged in the nature program and Bea was getting restless I decided to take her for a little walk around the grounds. Â I never tire of soaking in the serenity and it's changing face with the seasons. Â I never tire of admiring the beautiful brick farmhouse, it's angles sharp in the setting sun. I close my eyes and imagine the pioneer spirit of those early Amish settlements trying to carve out a community from scratch.
Check out some of these beautiful late summer scenes from Chrisholm:
Janet
Your evening with Aster is so beautifully written...cherish these moments, as they will pass far too quickly. And don't be surprised or hurt when Aster is an adult and possibly a mom herself, if she doesn't remember what the evening meant to you. My husband recently passed away and our "kids" came to say their good-byes, and as we reminisced about their childhood and things that we remember vividly, they couldn't remember; however, things they remembered us doing, and describing what it meant to them, WE couldn't remember. BUT in the end, we all did remember MOST of the important things, faith in each other and love of our beautiful country. They learned life's lessons from an great dad, and Aster is too.
Kevin
Thank you so much for the kind comment,Janet...I try.....