Our dogs tried to kill a possum that they discovered in our yard during the night. Since the canines sleep inside, the possum probably thought the coast was clear. Yet, she almost didn´t escape. After I heard rounds of yelping – a bark much different than they do when the cute golden retriever walks by – I knew they´d cornered something behind the lawn chairs.

I screamed and flailed my arms and managed to get the pair of hounds off the possum and out of the back yard. After I returned, I found the little thing breathing heavily in a nook of palm fronds. But, she was alive. She had a bloody scratch on her back and some missing hair, but I assured her she´d make it.

Since my daughter was asleep when this happened, I related the story to her. I told her even though the dogs are fed, they still have the instinct to kill an animal like a possum because that would be quite the lunch in the wild.

Mom, what is instinct?

It´s that thing that makes us do things without thinking. I said.

Like walk.

And Talk.

And scrounge the fridge for a snack.

Animals, including us, do things to keep us alive so we can keep the species going.

I went on a bit about the nuances of instinct, but I always know when my daughter´s had enough of me. She forgets to segway, and without warning, moves on.

Can I play Club Penguin?

Well, at least I´d gotten a few good words in about instinct.

I went outside and looked for the possum, and she was gone.