06/03/2026
Self-determination is one of the most powerful instincts every sentient individual should have the freedom to endeavor. It allows us to seek and choose what is best for us at any given time throughout our lives without the obstacles and intrusions of others.
The ability and right to choose a partner, friends, community - or solitude - should be respected. At Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary, it is.
Therefore, I should never be surprised by the choices residents make when they are happy and healthy, or struggling with loss. Everyone experiences tragedy and trauma differently.
So when I noticed Alicia (the goose) separating herself from all of the other geese the day after her lifelong partner Rita died, and choosing to join Cookie ,who lost Mina a few years ago, and Clyde, who lost his beloved Bonnie, I must admit I was briefly surprised, then deeply moved. Each of them chose to be together. There are others goats, sheep and geese who they could have sought comfort and companionship with, but out of everyone, they chose each other. Alicia's grief is fresh and she seems to know that Cookie and Clyde are who she needs to be with right now. I never would have been able to figure out what she needed in her time of mourning and assumed, wrongly , that she should be with the rest of her goose flock. I'm glad that she has the option and ability to seek condolences and companionship on her own terms .
