The Chickens Come Home to Roost

The girls at home.

Yesterday, six new additions joined our family: two Gold Sex-Links, one Plymouth Rock, one Ameraucana, one Delaware and one Australorp. Or, in a simpler word, chickens. :) There is almost no sweeter sound than coming downstairs in the morning to their lovely chirps, and even now they keep peering and chirping over at me curious of the toy (laptop) I am playing with. To date, the girls (they are guaranteed female) have amused and charmed us all.

Now many of you sensible folk out there are probably shaking your heads and wondering what a person battling depression and caring for a special needs child is doing by adding yet another task/burden/responsibility/chore/etc. to her plate? That's a good question and one I've been trying to answer myself. :)

So far, all I can say that the undertaking is a life affirming one. Through my experiences with Bertrand I can draw many parallels to the act of bringing these beings into my life, knowing that their existence will be short, the decisions will be hard, the end may be painful, and through it all choosing to love them any way. It's the only way I know how to live.

Who knows what the future will bring for any of us? Bertrand, Hannah & Carrie, the chicks, me? I may have an inkling, but living in fear of suffering in the future would only keep me from living and loving today. And, as much as I know it will hurt, it is true: it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

You know these babies will be loved.

A chick being handled at the farm.

Mr. Wang meets one of the girls before they can start beating him up.

This Ameraucana is extremely docile and sweet. She is our oldest chick.

Here is one of our (technically our neighbor Cathy's) youngest chicks, a Australorp.

Here are the chicks at the farm where we picked them out.

At the farm, Bertrand was not amused by the hot weather and the interruption in his routine, but his Abuelito was just happy to be with Bertrand.

Unlike Bertrand, Aunt Aury was VERY happy with the situation!