‍We homemakers are the front line in emergency situations, whether with pets or children or husbands or friends. It is often we who realize the situation has turned into an emergency, and it is we who start the emergency tending even before the EMTs arrive. It is vital that we acknowledge and accept this truth.

Instead of feeling like I’m also trapped in a cage, it’s given me a reason for my slow living. I need to go in and out today so that I can keep a close eye on the hens' location. I need to take this break so that they can run around a bit. I need to make sure I’m not gone all the time because these creatures depend on me. What I thought might be a hindrance has proven to be a liberty.