Original post from 2025
Sad news today. Little Athena chicken passed away quietly in the night. No warning. No visible signs of illness. She simply never woke up.
Those are the losses that hit the hardest — the ones you don’t see coming. Athena wasn’t demanding attention, wasn’t obviously unwell, wasn’t drawing concern to herself. She just was. And then, suddenly, she wasn’t.
In contrast, there’s Bunty.
Bunty has looked like she’s been on borrowed time for a while now. Her comb has turned purple, she’s slowed right down over the last couple of months, and for more than four weeks I’ve woken up each morning expecting that today would be the day we’d lose her. Every sign points to fragility.
And yet — every day — she gets up.
She still comes to find me, still waits patiently for her favourite dandelion leaves that I hand-feed her. She still has enough fire in her to give the other girls a firm peck if they encroach on her space. Bunty is visibly struggling, but she’s present. She shows you where she’s at. She accepts the care offered to her.
Athena didn’t.
And that’s the lesson that hurts the most.
It’s not always the ones who look like they’re falling apart that you need to worry about. When someone shows you they’re struggling, when they ask for help — or even quietly accept it — there’s still a line of connection there. There’s still a door open.
It’s the ones who suffer in silence that need watching most closely.
The quiet ones. The ones who don’t want to be a burden. The ones who keep going, keep showing up, keep saying “I’m fine” while carrying far more than anyone realises. They don’t make noise. They don’t wave red flags. And sometimes, like Athena, they leave without warning.
So if you have a friend who’s gone quiet…
If someone who used to check in has stopped…
If there’s a name that keeps drifting into your mind for no clear reason…
Pick up the phone. Send the message. Knock on the door.
They might not know how to ask. They might not even know what help they need. But knowing they’ve been noticed — that someone is paying attention — can matter more than we ever realise.
Fly high, sweet Athena.
You were loved. xxx
Chicken Nuggets 