This illustration is based on my first “My Life With Gracie” drawing. It is still one of my favorites of Gracie because of it’s simplicity and innocence. Even with an elaborate background, this drawing reminds me how we can be both helpless and hopeful at the same time. Perhaps this is one of life’s delicate balances which must be maintained to move forward.
Every morning, in the early morning, my chickens begin to stir. They are waiting for the sun to come up and give them enough light to see. They are reminded of their limited sight as soon as they wake up at the start of each day. This is because they are unable to see in darkness or even in dim light.
They are listening for the sound of the back door opening which means I’m on my way to open up their coop, give them their morning breakfast of fresh vegetables, and help them down the ladder if it’s still too dark for them to see clearly.
They hear the back door, and their first low soft peeps are almost imperceptible unless you are listening for them. They are speaking from their hearts both timidly and hopefully.
They want to know if it’s a predator they hear or if it’s really me coming to greet them into their new day.
Once they hear me talking to them, even though they can’t see me, they seem relieved and are eager to discover which of their favorites are in their morning breakfast salad.
Are we like blind chickens in the dim early morning light?
Do we recognize life is so much bigger than we are and can suddenly spin out of control or be lost in an instant? Yet do we also sense life has a grand design? And if a design, then a designer who desires it all to succeed?
Perhaps unlike chickens, we can too easily be blind to our own blindness.
My Life With Gracie taught me the importance of speaking from my heart even if doing so reveals my helplessness and hopefulness.
I will do my best to post each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Every “Like,” “Follow,” and “Comment” is truly appreciated!
My Life With GraciePress 
Brilliant Illustration. When I looked at it at the beginning of your post, the line cit.: “something bigger than life…” popped up in my mind without any clear context spontaneously. Amazing that I found this line in your post just seconds later! As you can see, your beautiful drawing is transporting the message well…even without any comment.
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Wow! How very nice how that worked out! I’m so glad too…it’s one of those things, and I’m sure you’ve experienced it too, we’re we send out our work hoping the best but not knowing how others will perceive what we have created.
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Yes, I think it is one of my favorite drawings of your Collection. 🙂
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I have to agree. Beautiful job. You are welcome to send the original to me c/o trefology. Los Angeles, CA. Thank you.
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Do you mind if I “share” this post in my blog?
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Yes, absolutely. Feel free to do so! I have to add that this was a “last minute” post because I wasn’t sure what I was going to present as an illustration or even write (though I did have a draft for parts). Isn’t it strange how not overthinking sometimes gives really good results? Thanks again!
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Danke schön!
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Alles ist gut!
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? Are you talking German too?
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I am Google translating from English to German. Though many years ago, I did try to teach myself to read German!
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Why?
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When I took an art history class in college, one of my professors said many of the best art history books were written by German art historians, and of course were written in German. Our college art library actually had a number of books written in German. I believe they would have been considered “out-of-print” classics. It intrigued me to consider the idea of discovering ideas unknown to the average student who only read books in English, concepts I would miss out on otherwise. Never lose your thirst for knowledge!
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Great illustration. And I did not know that chickens can’t see in the dark.
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Thanks, Ruth. It’s true. They are really their most vulnerable at twilight and in the early morning hours. And you can hear it in their voices. Interestingly enough, they do have double cones in their eyes which are probably helpful in detecting movements better than our eyes can…good for spotting and chasing insects!
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I love your blog and the message of hope you share. I hope to do something similar, mainly because I have learned so much about life from my chickens. I call them my “chickie children.” My own girls know their names, and come running when I call them. I also believe they have a language that one can understand. I recommend the book How To Speak Chicken by Melissa Caughey. Check it out!
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Love that you call them “chicken children”! Mine do not know their names. I kind of wish they did, but they hear me saying “I love you” so much to all of them, I have probably confused them so much that each of them probably thinks her name is “I love you”! But that may not be such a bad thing! Chickens (and other animals too) definitely know when they are loved. Will definitely look for that book too! Thanks!
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