The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 487

Good afternoon everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre. Yesterday I had reason to do some inter-county travel, from Cork to Limerick, Tipperary, Clare, Galway and all across rural areas with some fantastic beauty in all counties but it was really sad to see the rural villages practically all closed down. Much of the rural areas and the homesteads were derelict and in ruins. I was thinking of all the families that were reared in these communities now contributing hugely to ours and the world economy. For some reason it felt wrong and disturbing. Is it a fair question to ask that have successive government policies failed us and every large state or semi state companies control us remotely and facelessly. This failure is now casting a very dark shadow over our beautiful country. Promises hold no more, the dream that work would bring has vanished and withering. The light of failure has no mercy and the affection of a child of rural Ireland now shows no mercy as they say in Connemara "tá mo chroi bhriste"/ "my heart is broken" for rural Ireland. Can we all pray that the life will return to rural Ireland, the backbone of our country. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your smile.

The Mindful Farmer

Patrick