I found a dead cat in the hay. It was late last summer. I was sorting boxes in the barn while my mom visited with a neighbor at the gate.
It’s not so unusual to find death on a farm. Coyotes kill the ducks, and chicken eggs sometimes fall from makeshift nests. So I wasn’t surprised. Instead, I pondered the juxtaposition of my silent discovery with the sounds of life from just outside.
I remember hearing a dog — barking from across the field — and children laughing. Barn swallow hatchlings cried for food while a sheep bleated below. In spite of tragedy — no matter how momentous — life goes on. I found in this moment both peace and encouragement.
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