That dog will hunt.

That's a common phrase here in Texas. It's literal and figurative. Usually people use it in a figurative way. But, it's the phrase I thought of when I ran as fast as I could to the back yard to try to rescue a bird from Blue Bell's clutches. I was not successful.

If only we'd gotten home a little sooner, or a little later. But, no. Meagan and I had to get home right as Blue Bell was proudly displaying her agile hunting abilities on the back porch with a plump gray and yellow bird. It was horrible. There was no distracting Blue Bell from what she had adopted as her purpose in life at that moment. Nor was there any distracting Meagan from leaning with all of her 25 pounds of body weight against the glass in the back door and ferociously banging with all her might against the door, yelling, "BLUE BELL, NOOOO! STOP BLUE BELL!" between literal cries of desperation. Horrible. My baby girl - compassionate. My dog - a hunter. Both doing what I would want them to do. Yet, when they do it at the same time, it's brutal. Timing really is everything.

When I realized what Blue Bell was up to, I couldn't find the keys to the back door, so I had to run out the side door all the way around the house to the back gate, across the yard where I immediately started yelling for Blue Bell to come (Yeah, right. Because she's so obedient.) When I got to the back porch, I realized the bird truly had no chance. It was injured. Wonderful. Now what? I'm sorry to say, but the circle of life -that's what. Crap.

Again, I run for my life back inside because Meagan is still watching - again, the long way around because our house is locked and I couldn't find my stupid keys. By now, Meagan is beside herself. She cannot believe what her dog is doing. As soon as I got in the house I scooped Meagan up and pressed her face into my shoulder as I walked her straight back to the rocking chair in her room. She just relaxed every muscle in her body as she proceeded to cry, hard, begging me to go back out and put the baby bird (it's not a baby, but I wasn't going to split hairs) back in its nest because it's mommy and daddy are surely worried. She cried and I cried. And we are a hunting family. She's no stranger to cute animals being thinned out in the names of game management and putting food on the table. Didn't matter. This was sad beyond what her little mind could wrap itself around and her disappointment in Blue Bell was profound.

She was still holding out hope the bird would live. I knew it wouldn't. I had basically sentenced it to death - either by letting Blue Bell finish what she started or by figuring out a way to put it out of its misery myself. Since I had decided I couldn't do that, nor would I let it "live," suffering on the back porch while Blue Bell was kinneled until it finally died, I had decided to let Blue Bell finish what she started.

As we rocked and rocked, I had a choice to make - what to tell Meagan. Love rejoices in the truth, but it also protects. What to do? Today, love protected. She had seen enough. If she wanted to hope it lived, then live it would. For her, it would live. Once she was calmed down, I told her to get in bed for nap and I would go check on the bird and if it was okay, I would return it to its nest. Because love protects.

And so, thank the Lord, she actually did stay in the bed, while mama went back outside with a shovel to bury the bird. Blue Bell took me straight to it. Ding dong was so proud of herself. I was beyond conflicted. On the one hand I do want her to hunt...just not on the back porch. With my blood pressure through the roof and my body flushed of whatever adrenaline stores it had before the incident, I silently grabbed Blue Bell's collar and pushed her into the dog run so I could go bury the bird somewhere she wouldn't be able to see me.

I have no idea if any of this was handled correctly from a dog training perspective or parenting perspective or spiritual perspective. I hid the truth from Meagan. And it wouldn't be the first time. What would it have accomplished to have told her the truth - that mommy let Blue Bell finish what she started because that's what dogs do and mommy didn't want the bird to suffer longer than it had to..... blah blah blah. Are you kidding me? If I'm wrong, I don't want to be right.

Ever wonder what a stay at home mom does all day? Well, here ya go. And after the incident is over, this mama will shake on the inside for the rest of the day.

The dog hunted. And the daughter showed compassion. And the bird, in Meagan's mind, was returned safely to its nest. Meagan's happy. Blue Bell's happy. And mommy? Mommy has a little something called a "tension headache."