One Chicken At A Time

The 'school year' hasnt even started and I am already feeling the pressure of heavy schedules.

I honestly dont know how people keep up these crazy, busy schedules and stay sane. If I cannot savor the experience, it is lost to me. Life is so much in the moments for me... and flitting from appointment to lesson causes me to become strung out like too many beads crumpled up on a string.

I say my rosary one bead... no, one PRAYER, one WORD at a time. Each utterance is a moment with God. I try to keep my life like that too.

One of my favorite memories and moments of wisdom takes me back a few decades to my early days working at a large animal veterinary clinic. One of the doctors there was famous for saying, "You can only pluck one chicken at a time." Quaint but true! The kicker is that before my arrival at the clinic, there was a young kid named Charlie, who helped out with the animals and livestock. And he became famous for belting out, while under serious pressure and stress, "Damn it! You can only F*CK ONE CHICKEN AT A TIME!"

Either way you look at it, its just true. Whether we are stressed out and mixing up our words, or calm, serrine and completely engaged in our patient wisdom- you can still only be in one moment at a time. Chickens can run fast, so hang on to the one you've got hold of and treasure it. When the next one comes along, you will know it. Just... stay in the moment you've got. Dont overschedule your life and constantly be flitting about. Be where you are. And make that as much as possible where your family and your Father in Heaven is.

White Cheeks, one of our wonderfully tempered Americana hens.