A few days ago I opened my front door to see this friendly chicken strutting around and apparently waiting for me right on the Welcome mat. While I am wondering whether chickens can read, I watched her pecking around looking for any traces of crumbs, wandering back and forth, checking to see if she could come in (no!) and finally settling quite happily on my deck in the sun. She seemed quite peaceful and right at home, but was obviously not where she belonged.

After some time passed, I realized this new resident in my yard was making no moves to return to her home. I finally posted the picture on my local town site asking if anyone was missing a chicken. After some comments here and there, it turned out that she had been staying at my neighbor’s house across the way. Because their house faces another street, I hadn’t had occasion to meet them but thought I had heard chickens in their fenced yard.

My neighbor and I had a delightful chat meeting each other while she collected up the chicken. But this was only part of the story. This chicken had appeared on the sidewalk of a nearby block a few days previously with no evidence of where she had come from. My neighbor, having a small flock herself, decided to take Miss Chicken in and care for her until her owner was found. The only problem was that Miss Chicken was capable of escaping her yard by flying over a 6-foot fence and had had to be rescued from the neighborhood numerous times. Another visit from Miss Chicken a few days later convinced my neighbor to clip her wings a bit. That day I got to meet my neighbor’s sweet daughter. I do hope Miss Chicken finds her home and family, wherever it may be.

Miss Chicken delivered me a happy happenstance in meeting my neighbors. The symbolic meaning of a chicken appearing is that you are meant to scratch below the surface of your emotions and do an internal evaluation to make sure your are responding to situations from your heart. Never a more timely and appropriate message for me as I am focusing more intently on my HeartSupport Coaching and Heart2Heart Readings. Thank you, Miss Chicken!