As I was driving home after my first week of classes at Mizzou, I was struck by the remarkable amount of change that occurred in the short time I had been gone. The corn, which was bright green just one week prior, now had a golden shimmer as I drove by, and in certain fields, some farmers had already begun their harvest. Even the cattle I passed seemed larger than before, with calving season soon approaching. All this made me realize our lives are constantly changing, just like the crops and livestock many of us spend a lifetime producing. 

With so much change in our lives, oftentimes it can be difficult to adapt. I, for one, have experienced this difficulty first-hand moving into college. Before the move, I wasn’t too worried about making new friends or adjusting to life in the city of Columbia. However, I soon realized that wasn’t the scary part of moving. The part I found to be the most difficult was losing the people I had gone to school with for four years prior and the small town I grew up in. These were things I had too often taken for granted, and I had no idea how much I would miss them until they were gone. 

Missouri FFA members, you are going to encounter so much change in your journey through FFA and through life. Whether it be moving schools, switching up your SAE or simply starting the new school year, there is so much change in all of our lives. I encourage us all to live each season of life as though it’s our last. We never know when the time in one chapter of our life is over and a new one will begin, so embrace the seasons of change!