Molting this fall has been tough on Amelia. She hasn’t been herself. After losing so many feathers, she’s been unable to fly, not even just a little get up on a roosting spot.

When she stretches out her wings, which is very seldom right now, there is practically nothing to see. That may be why she very seldom does this. She hides her inabilities from the others.

In many ways she reminds me of a teenager who has so many changes happening they feel alienated and overwhelmed. What makes it particularly troubling for Amelia is that when she went through her teenage season, she had hatchmates to go through it with her. Now she is the only one experiencing a “hard molt” while the others have had “soft molts” during the year.

Being “My Little Girl,” she may hide behind my legs or under my chair, but also being “My Big Girl,” she will find some way to set herself apart from the others. Her latest acrobatic accomplishment is to stand on one foot. None of the others do this, and she is exceptionally skilled.

I wonder if this is somehow training for what comes next. As I’ve told her before, “One day you will be the first chicken to fly to the moon and back…or something even better.”

My Life With Gracie helped me see when we are feeling vulnerable, it’s probably because we are growing to meet new challenges.

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