It used to be that when I saw a birds of prey in the sky overhead I bristled.

"Stay away from my flock!" Mentally I would assure myself that the chickens were all safely tucked into their coops, even if I were miles from home. Kind of a knee jerk reaction, not entirely based on logic. I have after all, lost a number of sweet Silkies over the years to sharp talons, with only a poof of feathers on the grass to mark the loss. 

But the other day I was sitting with friends on a deck, when someone pointed out a handsome red tailed hawk regarding us from an oak. 

I admired him with no residual sting. He was living his life, we were enjoying ours. There were no vulnerable underbellies in my yard to worry over. 

A woman mentioned that her son sometimes tosses a controversial comment into the ring at family gatherings. There was a time when she would be hooked, and dive into protecting her beliefs. But that particular rabbit hole has lost its appeal. Now she is either quiet, or simply states what works for her. 

Some of the defensiveness that sucked my focus in past years has eased up. Hearing an argument circling around things I care about does not instantly put me in attack stance. It is possible to leave the claws behind and pray.