Langreck: A time to be thankful

As a little girl, I had many dreams and aspirations of what I would one day grow up to be, including a famous author, Miss America and an Olympic athlete.

Now mind you, I didn’t plan on being just one of those three careers. I imagined being a former Miss America, who wrote a bestselling book about my journey preparing for the summer Olympics, where I would participate in the 400-meter dash.

I eventually realized those life goals were probably a bit lofty and completely out of reach, but in my own way, and on a much smaller scale, I still made an attempt at achieving some of the dreams I had for myself as a child.

While I never ran the 400-meter dash at the Olympic level, or even the state level for that matter, I did have the opportunity to run the 400-meter dash for my high school girl’s track team and was the only freshman in my grade to qualify for regionals.

Even though I didn’t win, it was still a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget and something I worked to have another chance at my next three years on the track team.

Although my time on the high school track team was nowhere near what I dreamed of when I thought of myself one day being an Olympic athlete, earning a coveted gold medal, it was still life altering for me and an experience that would leave a lasting impact on my life.

As I grew up, even though I haven’t written a New York Time’s Best Seller — yet — my life followed a path that led me to a career in writing because I love being able to express myself through words and share important information, especially about the agricultural industry, with others.

Over the years, as a writer for AgriNews, I have been blessed to meet dozens of extraordinary people that are not only amazing human beings, but also dedicated ambassadors of the agriculture industry.

While I have never been crowned Miss America, I do know what it was like to dream that I could one day be Miss America, and that dream is something that I will always encourage in my three daughters.

My oldest daughter, Addyson, actually participated in several beauty pageants when she was younger, but as of now, her 7-year-old self has decided that frilly dresses with rhinestones are not for her and she would rather be running outside, climbing the compost pile with her older brother. She wants to be an artist when she grows up.

Now, I can’t tell you how climbing on a dirt pile will help her become an artist one day, but it’s her life to live and that’s what I am going to let her do – granted, a mandatory bath is required after playing in the dirt pile.

As Hoosiers and the entire country go through uncertain times with constantly changing restrictions and safety regulations to help stop the spread of COVID-19, it’s important to remember what experiences and memories in life for which you are thankful, even if they weren’t perfect or exactly what you wanted.