Accepting What Is
Sometimes, we tell ourselves nice stories. When someone behaves badly, we try to figure out why…there must be a reason…rather than accepting this is who they are.
Maya Angelou wrote:
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
This truth can apply to many present day situations, but I’m going to apply it to our resident black snake.
He is a black snake. He is a wild animal. He is a predator. He eats our hen’s eggs and now, he is going after the hens.
The snake is not a pet. He will not be tamed. He is, simply, hungry and the chicken coop is right around the corner from his den.
Facts are facts. These are our choices:
Kill the snake.
Try to catch and re-home the snake.
Let it stay until it’s succeeded in killing the hens.
Obviously, only the first two are options. One is easier than the other.
Scared hens burrow under each other’s wings.