The Power of
What I ’ve Learned from Chickens
by Sharon Roy
This new memoir series by author comes from forgetting the rest. They
say, “I know what you mean, that’s
Sharon Roy inspires us all through the
take great pride in their work and
how I feel!” They wanted to know
story of one typically overwhelmed
fully accept their purpose in God’s
the secret.
modern woman who broke through
plan. They even know how to die
Well, there is no secret, just an
the encrusted shell of her life to
with grace.
acceptance of the natural way of
unleash the brilliant light that lay dor-
As I told my chicken stories to
things. As we “grow up,” our modern
mant within. It all started with a lapful
various friends and family over the
world tends to slowly close our eyes,
of eggs and a leap of faith ...
years, I noticed that the room would
our ears, and our hearts to the divine
often grow quiet as others leaned
intelligence that flows all around us.
Preface from What I’ve Learned
in to listen. Of course, they were
We simply need to be reminded. This
From Chickens
fascinated by the interesting things
remembering often comes by way
I will always be grateful for what I’ve
chickens did, but when I spoke about
of small wonders that make us look
learned from observing the gentle
how chickens had changed me, their
deep and “grow in” to who we really
ways of chickens. Chickens know
eyes began to sparkle eagerly. Heads
are. In my case, the small wonders
how to pay close attention to the
nodded as I described how tense and
happened to have feathers and four-
important things in life … and how
overwhelmed I used to feel before I
toed dinosaur feet.
to enjoy the deep contentment that
learned from chickens. People would
Where are your small wonders? Let’s
see if we can find them together...
Chapter 1:
The Power of Yes
“Hey Mom! Can we hatch ‘em?”
mism. “The hens have a rooster.” This is a reference
I am driving through a misty April evening with my
to a delicate talk we’ve already had about why we
seven-year-old son, Mac, who has a pile of eggs on
couldn’t hatch eggs from the grocery store.
his lap. This is a request I’ve heard several times since
I sigh and prepare for the long No. “They need to be
we began volunteering to do the chores at an 18th
kept warm and we don’t have the right equipment.
century living-history farm museum, a place where the
Everything needs to be just right to hatch an egg.”
chickens run free and time breathes deeply.
He frowns, thinks for a moment, then brightens,
I answer the same distracted way I always do. “No.”
“Hey, I know what we can do! We can put them
It’s how any sensible person living in the 21st century
under the lamp on the counter!”
with close neighbors and forbidding town ordinances
“No, we’re not going to put them under a lamp. It
would answer. Especially someone with barely enough
wouldn’t work.”
land to pitch a tent.
“Can we someday?” he asks.
“Why not?” he says with his anything-is-possible opti-
“We’ll see,” I say. The classic grown up’s cop out.
34
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