Preparing for Adulthood

Warm greetings from our Amish community here in the Heartland. The last full week of July brought scattered showers across the countryside, and a few fortunate homesteads enjoyed a welcome break from watering. Others tended their hoses each evening to help thirsty gardens flourish in the Summer heat. It has been a week of watching the sky, hoping for clouds, and caring for the land, which feels fitting as we conclude our series on preparing for adulthood.

This final part of our Growing Up Amish series follows one young woman as she remembers the moment she first sensed adulthood approaching. She was sixteen when she turned to her sister and quietly said, “I wish I could stop time.” It was not fear exactly, but a soft awareness that childhood was beginning to slip behind her. Many Amish youth feel this same mixture of anticipation and uncertainty as they step toward the responsibilities that shape their future.

She looked forward to leaving home one day, not out of impatience, but because she wondered what her own household might be like. At the same time, she felt unsure about motherhood. She had watched her own mother care for a busy home, and she knew that raising children required patience, steadiness, and a willingness to learn. These thoughts stayed with her as she moved through her teenage years.

Her maid jobs were the first responsibilities that helped her prepare for adult life. Cleaning, organizing, and helping other families taught her how to manage a home with care. She remembers a conversation with her parents about courtship that stayed with her for years. They spoke plainly, offering guidance without pressure, reminding her that adulthood carried choices that deserved thought and prayer.

She was grateful to have learned canning before she reached adulthood. Fruits, vegetables, meats, ketchup, and jelly all passed through her hands as she worked beside her mother and older sisters. The steady work of canning gave her confidence. She felt ready when she found herself canning and cleaning with ease, knowing she could help feed a household through the Winter. These same canning skills continue to be taught across Amish communities, passed from one generation to the next.

Yet there were moments that made her feel unprepared. The first day she taught school brought nerves she had not expected. Standing before a room of children reminded her that adulthood was not simple. Watching her older siblings become adults taught her the same lesson. She saw that grown life carried joys and challenges, and that both were part of the journey.

Indoor jobs were more trying for her, since she loved the outdoors. Still, she learned to complete them with care. Friendships among the other girls in the youth group brought joy during this time. These friendships with Amish youth helped her feel supported as she stepped into new responsibilities.

If she could speak to her younger self, she would say that bumps can happen in relationships and not everything turns out the way you think it will. She hopes young people today understand that preparing for adulthood is serious business, but also a time filled with growth, learning, and gentle blessings.

Stories from Our Amish Basket Weavers

Here are a few of the most notable moments from the families who weave the beautiful baskets featured on AmishBaskets.com, shared with us this week.

The Borntrager Family

The oldest son in the Borntrager family spent much of the week helping a neighboring family move a relative to Arkansas. They left early in the morning for the two-hour trip to load a truck, then traveled again on Thursday to help unload and organize belongings into a temporary shed and living quarters. Dorthy’s mother, who is over eighty, made the trip as well. She had already spent a week at the relative’s home helping pack for the move and wanted to be there for the unpacking too. By late Friday night they were all back home, tired but grateful the move had gone smoothly.

The Mast Family

The Mast family reported a busy week in the garden, picking four gallons of green beans in one evening and storing them in the ice house. They expect a strong bean harvest this Summer. Blackberries are also ripe, and several family members head to the timber by six thirty each morning to gather them by the gallon. Their zucchini plants continue to produce, though the leaves are wilting, likely from cucumber beetles or squash bugs. They pulled the pea plants that had finished producing, planted Fall potatoes, mulched them, and added another patch of sweet corn in hopes of a late harvest.

“It takes both rain and sunshine to make the garden grow.”

- Amish Wisdom Overheard in the Community