neVer forgeT

For those of you reading this blog solely for the farming and nutrition information, please forgive me for this post. I am going to step away from the farming life to reflect on something very important to Michael and I.

I define myself by a lot of things - my husband's wife, my mother's daughter, a nutritionist, a local food advocate - but most importantly, I am a Hokie.

A little over 9 years ago, Michael and I met in high school and started dating. With him being a year older than me, he embarked on his college adventure long before I got out of the petty world of girl drama and band practice. To stay close to home (and to me!), Michael went to Virginia Tech to pursue an engineering degree. When it was my turn to choose my "future," it was a no-brainer.

Michael and I spent 3 wonderful, orange- and maroon-filled years together, cheering on our Hokies. Lots had happened in those 3 years - we were living on our own, we had gotten engaged and life's path was standing before us. Until one cold, snowy (yes, snowy... only in Blacksburg) April day (just 2 days after my 21st birthday), Michael and I (with thousands of others) faced a tragedy that no person ever should. I will spare the details of our anxiety and fear, but will say that the following 7+ days were not what I would consider "college life." After all the morning and finally realizing how to move on with our lives, we did. That next month, Michael graduated from college - top of his class - and all was seemingly behind us.

Michael and I are in the bottom, center horizontal part on the H. Can you see us?

Sill, 4 years later, I think of those 32 souls that were lost on that April day. Several were friends of ours, two were Michael's engineering professors, and all have made a lasting impression on our lives. I can't deny that I don't think about that day - it is 5:17am on Saturday morning, one week before April 16th, and I am sitting in bed with Peanut curled up at my feet and my husband asleep next to me, writing this all because I woke up at 4:41am and couldn't go back to sleep.

I write this, not to upset you or to make you feel sorry for us. I write this as a celebration of the 32 wonderful people we lost 4 years ago and as a celebration of the life Michael and I have created and led in these past 4 years. On the evening of April 16, 2007, I remember lying in bed and telling myself 2 things. First, I love my fiance (at the time) more than anything and right then I knew undoubtedly that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Second, I knew that I would always and forever be a Hokie.

On pretty much a daily (ok, let's say weekly) basis, I get asked "what is a Hokie?" In very, very simple terms, it is an imaginative character that looks a lot like a turkey. However, that is not the answer you will get if you ask anyone who has graced the Virginia Tech campus. A Hokie is a feeling, it is a spirit, it is a way of life. It is the notion of doing unto others and the world as you would have them do unto you. It is helping others in time of need and celebrating with them in times of triumph. Michael is a Hokie. I am a Hokie.

On this day and everyday, if you do nothing more than be thankful for the life you have, then this post has served its purpose. If Michael and I had a million dollars, we would give back to the place that gave us so much. We are not quite in that place in our lives (Flip Flop Farm needs to get a little more established!), however, we take this day to appreciate each other, all the wonderful people we know and love, and the life that we lead.

Now that you have a little background history, you see why we have a VT flag hanging in the front of our house, why we wear VT clothing every time we get a chance, and why the color of our chicken coop is Chicago maroon.

They say never to let situations or events define you. Well... sorry world. I will let this define me until I no longer grace this Earth. I am a Hokie - I am a proud Hokie.

Thank you for indulging me and understanding that although it seems to be, there are a lot of other aspects to our lives than Flip Flop Farm. Thank you for taking a moment to think about the 32 people who lost their life that day and for the thousands who will neVer forgeT.

The Drillfield, by candlelight.

H-O-K-I-E-S. Hokies!