I have written often about the squirrels who live in the roof of the house across from my window over my writing desk. I have named them Pip and Mrs. Pip after a character I created for a series called Grandmothers' Wisdom Stories which I am hoping to complete and publish sometime in the near future. Anyway, I look forward to seeing them emerge from out of their hidden nest in the roof and go out into the world to seek food, recreation, and just to enjoy the beauty and freshness of Mother Nature's gifts. They have had babies in their tiny home before but usually they have been chased off by the Angry Birds who wanted to steal their nest. This year, however, Mr. and Mrs. Pip stood up to them quite well and kept them out. That did not stop the birds from chasing the poor squirrels every time they poked their nose out, but my furry little friends have survived and, this year, even thrived.
The other day I was at my usual perch in front of the window writing about the unbelievable change from terrible snow storm/4 day power outage to 70 degrees and sunny when some movement out of the corner of my eye caused me to look up. There on the roof was a much smaller squirrel than the ones I have been watching. At first I couldn't figure out where he came from until another one, just as small but just as energetic, climbed out and joined his or her sibling on the roof. It seems that the happy parents had given birth to two healthy, vibrant little ones. I almost got teary-eyed (okay, I DID get teary eyed), like a proud auntie or grandma, when I saw them. They scampered around, checking out the roof, the gutters, the chimney, and then, to my amazement, made a Superman-like leap from the roof onto the giant pine tree and managed to climb all the way to the top, a good 50 feet or more, where the freshest pine cones were. Mom and Dad soon emerged as well and followed the young ones until they made their way back home. Obviously, the kids have been out and about before but this was the first time I had seen them.
Why am I making such a fuss over some baby squirrels? Because of all that has gone down this year and continues to go down. The up and down, often violent weather causes us to wonder if climate change is even worse than we thought. Wars, political in-fighting, hatred and pandemics take up all of our attention. Sometimes it takes something like the appearance of new life, whether it's baby squirrels, or the first green buds on the trees, or the hillside now covered in green where before there was just brown, to remind us that life goes on all around us, and that beauty and compassion is always there if we take the time to look. The squirrels romping up and down the tree aren't worried about wars or politics. They are focused on eating, living, breathing, and loving both life and each other.
Maybe that's where our focus should be, on the celebration of life rather than trying to control it or destroy it. Maybe watching a family of squirrels living their lives will give us some clues as to how to live our own, in freedom, love, and joy. It may take a village to raise a child, but for me, it only takes two new, furry, little lives to give me hope that life will go on even if we're not looking. I don't know about you, but I intend to spend more time looking. Care to join me?
And so it is.
