Life lessons

Life lessons on gratitude and more...

She decided to raise three baby chicks in order to get her own fresh organic eggs. At first, I was quite bewildered by the idea but at the same time, I felt really intrigued.

A multitude of questions floated through my mind: How can we do this in our backyard? Will they stink? How do we manage to take care of them?

Little did I know how this experience would teach me lessons on life.

The long story short, by end of August, we got three adorable two-day old heritage chicks! Catching them at the farm looked like a promotional scene from America’s funniest home videos. My daughter, her friend, and the farmer’s young kids were running around with the butterfly nets while the chicks were scurrying around.

Thanks to youtube, my daughter was equipped with loads of information about chickens, including how to select girls (after all, we only wanted eggs). With the facial expression of a focused scientist, she carefully examined the little wings to identify boys and girls.

Tiki, Taiga & Quin joined our family, and if there were a cuteness factor assigned to them, it would be a 10 out of 10. Although I grew up as a true city girl, I cannot count the number of unforgettable moments my daughter and I spent playing with our chicks. We watched them fight over insects, huddle together endlessly, or run like mad out of their little house when we suspended a head of lettuce on a string (they must have assumed it was an alien!)

A few months later, one morning, out of nowhere, we found Quin very ill. It was beyond touching to see the other two birds not leaving Quin's side. We transferred our chicks to a nearby organic farm and learned that Quin couldn't be saved, while Tiki and Taiga joined the farmer's flock. We felt they needed a big family.

I honestly never thought I would cry over a chicken. But I did. Quin was my favourite.

As I was reflecting on our experience with the birds, I realized the life lessons they taught me:

1. We are not owed another day.

2. No matter how hard we try, things can take a different turn than we expected.

3. Ultimately, it's about how we feel in life.

I am inviting you to step into 2017 and feel grateful for this moment right NOW because we are truly not owed another day.

I challenge you to do your best, trust yourself, and welcome even the blind turns.

I invite you to connect to your feelings and realize that the greatest possession in our life is how we feel in any given moment and that to be truly loved means to be understood and connected.

Happy 2017!

With love,

Edita