As my husband and I were climbing into bed, we heard screams of sheer terror coming from the chicken coop. The chickens have freaked out at night before, when strong winds blew off their nest box door. At the time, I thought that was the worst sound I’d ever heard. And it was, until now. These screams were different. Primal. There was no question that something was attacking our chickens.

It was a possum. The girls are all okay, other than being terrified. We think the possum was looking for eggs, but he could have injured or killed my hens. Luckily, they called for help.

Lessons from chickens #3: If you need help, ask for it. Whether a possum is in your bed, or you need to brainstorm a writing project, or you are having thoughts of harming yourself. No matter what you need help with, ask. You don’t have to work through problems alone.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

“Sometimes in life, you fall down holes you can’t climb out of by yourself. That’s what friends and family are for-to help. They can’t help, however, unless you let them know you’re down there.”

–Meg Cabot