| I grew up in the Amish, Mennonite country of south | | | | helping too. Housework never ends from sunrise to |
| central Pennsylvania. Rolling hills with fertile ground | | | | sunset with rest coming infrequently. It is a long |
| made for excellent farming. | | | | arduous day of work and precious little else. |
| Sundays after church my dad would get us all in the | | | | The Amish cherish family and their way of life and |
| car for a Sunday drive that would invariably take us | | | | give constant prayers and thanks to God. Most Amish |
| into the heart of Lancaster county...Amish country. | | | | families are large with deep-rooted beliefs grounded in |
| Horse and buggies could be seen to and from Sunday | | | | strong moral and ethical values. If you spend anytime |
| go to church meeting houses, slowing up traffic along | | | | with the Amish you will quickly realize how physically fit |
| the way although we never seemed to mind. This is | | | | they are. Hard work pays a good dividend. Without all |
| the day the Amish and Mennonites 'rested' from a long | | | | the creature comforts of 'our society' the Amish thrive |
| hard workweek. Having lived near these hardy people | | | | at work, with family and God. |
| throughout my childhood I knew even Sundays were | | | | We can learn from the Amish and Mennonites in as |
| 'busy days' with little rest. | | | | much 'life principles' grounded in ethical guidelines |
| Work starts early at a Amish household with kids and | | | | produces an environment for a strong body and mind. |
| adults up before the sun to do chores and 'get things | | | | I'm happy living in my Internet high tech world and am |
| done'. Breakfast comes later with a lot of eggs, | | | | not ready to take a step back in time as the Amish |
| scrapple, sausage, and bread. After the early work is | | | | now live but I do have an admiration for their lifestyle. |
| complete and breakfast is eaten the children are off to | | | | Most of us could use some hard physical work rather |
| school and the adults start the serious work of plowing | | | | then spending tedious, monadic time at the gym or at |
| and threshing and seeding. No tractors or electric will | | | | home on that dreaded treadmill. Hard work produces |
| be found at an Amish household only horses with steel | | | | something tangible a real accomplishment and your |
| implements being pulled behind them. The women | | | | body in turn becomes fit. |
| work tirelessly minding the garden with the 'little ones' | | | | |