column and photos by Darren Sabuda
Lola the chicken and the rest of the flock anticipate a tasty strawberry treat.
The questions are asked in the rapid-fire curiosity of youth. “Will Lola ever wake up?” my 4-year-old daughter asks. “No, she won’t wake up again,” I say. “She has passed away.” “What does that mean?” is her response to my basic explanation of death. My 6-year-old son understands the concept on a different level and interrupts before I can elaborate: “Will she go to heaven?” A genuine sadness enters his voice and I realize he is taking this life-and-death event hard.