Last month I took my son Tom to see his grandparents in the countryside. When we arrived, my father and mother were so happy to see us. Tom’s nana hugged and kissed Tom excitedly. Then his grandpa took him to the yard to play. My mom went to her kitchen to prepare our meal. I knew my Tom was curious about everything in his grandparents’ home, and he would be very excited.

At lunch table, Tom told me, proudly, “Dad, I saw a hen flying.”

“Impossible!” I said without thinking, “How can a hen fly?”

“Dad, in the yard, the dog ran after the hen. Finally the hen was forced to a corner. The panicked hen, when she found no other way out, suddenly flapped her wings and flew up to the roof. The hen escaped successfully. Dad, I didn’t know a hen could fly before. Why can a hen fly?”

I thought for a while and said, “Maybe because of love. The hen loves her own life. It is the love that stirs her inner power and she flies!”

Tom nodded. He seemed to have understood.

Last weekend we visited Tom’s grandparents again. This time I heard Tom shouting from the yard, “Dad! The dog is chasing the hen again! Come to see!”

I ran out of the house quickly. The hen ran to a group of chickens followed by the dog. The hen stopped and turned around suddenly and faced the dog angrily, with her two wings sticking out to protect her children.

I ran fast and stood between the dog and the hen, shouting at the dog to drive it away.

“Dad, why didn’t the hen fly away? She knows she can’t beat the dog.” asked Tom.

I thought for a while and said, “Maybe because of love, the love to her children more than her own life.”

Tom thought for a long time and nodded. He seemed to have understood.

In fact, in our life, we, human beings, will do the same as the hen did.