Of course, as you know, these are the Lindsey chicks--Midnight, Cinnamon, and Sunshine. They have been living here for a little while and the girls love them. I try not to get too attached.
You see, I too had a baby chicken for a pet once. She looked very similar to Sunshine in the above picture. My first-grade class hatched her in an incubator and I was lucky enough to take her home. She was the first (and best) friend I ever had.
As I recall, I was a quiet, reflective, and introverted child--being neither heard nor seen--never asking for anything and never getting anything. I spent my time, by myself, studying about dinosaurs and writing poetry.
One of my fondest moments of first grade was watching our class chick hatch, I knew that fluffy ball of feathers was something special. Little did I know then, as I watched her come out of her shell, that she would help me come out of mine.
The next few days were some of the happiest in memory. My little friend would follow me everywhere. I started to become more confident. My stammering and stuttering became less frequent. I was standing taller and smiling bigger. Below is a video still of me during that time: 
As you can see, I was full of vim and vigor. I dreaded the hours I had to spend at school and away from my friend. Each day I would run as fast as I could from the bus stop to the house to be reunited with her. But one day, as I descended the hill towards our house, I could see Mom with a troubled look on her face. She told me that my friend had died. I was crushed--like a baby bird under the weight of an automatic garage door operated by a malicious three-year-old.
I buried her in the back yard. It was the saddest day of my life.
As I thought back on those days and the love a boy had for his chicken, I began to think about the love a father must have for his children. And, seeing as it's Father's Day, I thought I would be remiss if I didn't express my appreciation and love for my own Father.
Thanks, Dad, for all you do and all you've done. I love you and hope you're having a great Father's Day.
