Getting Fluffy: Day 15 - 30 Day Challenge

From a very early age, I’ve been drawn to the chick hatcheries at the local children’s zoo. There is something about the hatching process that draws me in and keeps my attention. I can stand there for hours witnessing the soon to be chicks peck their way out of their elegant homes. What compels them to do this? For such a long time, their egg home provided everything that was needed for sustenance and growth. Suddenly something shifts and the soon to be chick is propelled by a force beyond volition to emerge into a new way of being in the world.

 Every time I witness the hatching process seems as if it’s the first. For the longest time, nothing seems to happen and then a crack or two becomes visible. Soon, a small portion of a beak pokes through the shell. The crack slowly turns into a hole and, over time, the tiny hole expands until large enough for the chick to emerge. After the chick emerges from the once intact shell, its slimy and exhausted body is completely still beneath the hatchery light. Slowly, while soaking in the restorative light, the slimy mass of exhaustion turns into a fluffy ball of vibrant chick.

This miraculous transformation process is a joy to witness and my greatest teacher.  Whenever I emerge from a particularly challenging and exhausting period of time in any area of my life, I remember the chicks and relax into my unique version of “getting fluffy.” What’s your version?

 Janet