Something my chickens act as if they understand what I’m telling them even though they really don’t…and I do the same with them when they are talking to me.
Does it matter? I think not. Whatever is said with love is always understood on some level.
I can tell them, “Just one more wake up, and then we will have the weekend together!” But they don’t understand “weekend,” at least not until something is different in their routine.
I can tell them, “Tomorrow we will play in the backyard and look for bugs!” But until they are actually doing it, that time doesn’t exist.
I don’t think nailing up a clock or calendar in their coop would help, though pecking at them could be entertaining. Wristwatches wouldn’t help either because chickens don’t have wrists. It is a bit perplexing.
Clocks, calendars, and wristwatches…well, those are best used as reminders for when we will next be with the ones we love, don’t you think? But those things don’t work with chickens.
You see, chickens don’t understand very much about time. They only know when they feel loved, but that’s the way it is for most animals and sometimes people too. It is especially true for young children and for some people as they age, at the beginning of life and at the end of life.
Maybe you know someone for whom one day feels like the next.
You may tell them, “I will see you tomorrow,” or “I will see you next weekend,” but they don’t understand when that will be. They only understand when you are there and when you aren’t. They only understand when they feel loved and when they don’t.
When you are with them, perhaps you are blessed in a way you may never quite comprehend. You may, just for a while, lose your own sense of time as well. Love can do that.
To not feel time and to only feel love seems to perhaps be touched by the Eternal, the Love which always has been and always will be.
My Life With Gracie showed me how some of us don’t understand days, times, and seasons, but we all understand when we are loved.
Each post shares a glimpse into my journey as a writer and illustrator. Every “Like,” “Follow,” and “Comment” is truly appreciated!
Beautiful
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Thanks so very much, Ruth! This was just about my most revised and edited post ever. I wasn’t sure how to get it to feel “just right” so that readers could feel like I was writing about something maybe in their own lives…sort of a balance between being not too ambiguous and not too specific. Anyway, I really appreciate that this touched your heart in some way. Thanks again, John
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Beautifully written. I love chickens! Used to spend some of my Summer vacations with grandparents who had, among lots of other critters, chickens! I used to sit out in their pen and play guitar and sing to them when I was a kid… and pet them and love them. Grandparents always said the chickens laid more eggs during those Summer’s I was there than at any other time of the year. LOL —- I wish all living creatures felt loved like that. 🙂
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What a wonderful story! And I do think your grandparents were right. Animals respond to love most absolutely. Thanks so much for reading and sharing!
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🙂 🐔🐔🐤🐤
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‘To not feel time, and only love’! What a beautiful feeling and turn of phrase. I have experienced this and there is nothing like it in the world!
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Thanks for reading and sharing, and yes, it is a rare but beautiful feeling!
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“Whatever is said with love is always understood on some level.” How wonderfully true. When I’m with my children I feel free of time. There is nothing like it. Beautiful post.
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It’s amazing what a person can learn when spending time with the chickens.
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Yes, I agree. And most animals too, I think. Wisdom comes though many different avenues…some with two legs, some with four, and sometimes through those with two legs and wings. Thanks!
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Awesome! Have a great day!
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Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!
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