The Things We Do for Family…

We all have stories of things that we have done because we had to, because the thing that we were doing was ‘for family.’ In most cases these things were things that we didn’t want to do and the things that caused the family photo to have at least one unhappy face. But what I am talking about are the things that we do for family because they enrich us and because we are fortunate enough to have a family that understands the things that we love and how much they mean to us.

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I know that my mother loves the woman I have become but I am pretty sure that she was not 100% thrilled when I wanted to go out with Dad and hunt. I know that she loved the father and daughter time we were getting but the subject matter might not have been what you had in mind. My mom is amazing and she has taught me so many things about the wilderness but she respects my silly ‘son-like’ relationship with my father even when it (occasionally) comes at her expense. I respect her very much for that and I hope to me a mother like she is.

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I have become the ‘son’ of the family. I love that now but growing up it wasn’t always easy. I don’t relate to my sisters the way most sisters do, so we have a unique relationship. It was hard to adjust to growing up. I didn’t get to relate to ‘girlfriends’ at school the way other girls did. It was hard to explain to other girls my values and why I felt that they were OK. This is why I became one of the Queens of Camo, so that I could offer support and encouragement to young women and to families. Hunting is an amazing family tradition but it can be delicate for children.

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Family is everything that we have and hunting has been a very central topic in mine. My father and I are avid hunters, my mother is a loving supporter of the people she loves, my middle sister is a pragmatic gun owner, and my youngest is a peace-loving artist. We are complex and have very different values but what binds us is family.

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When I make a meal that either my dad or I procured we sit together and we give thanks for the animal, the hunter, the chef, the mother, the pacifist, and the silent supporter.