Since moving into my house a year and a half ago, I’ve had a squirrel problem. Many times, squirrels could clearly be heard in the ceiling above my bedroom–seemingly romping and running and rolling nuts around. It took three exterminators to finally solve the problem, and during this time I had a real war mind-set. Killing the squirrels was part of the intervention, and I was OK with that. Finally the squirrels seem to be gone from the walls and ceilings of my house. In the yard and garden, however, they are still abundant. I see sleek black squirrels, small red squirrels, and large gray squirrels up and down the tree that is their home and food source; they leave shells of nuts all over my porch and stairs; they dig little holes all throughout my garden. My main feeling lately has been relief (no more squirrels in the house) mixed with annoyance (squirrels messing up my yard), and my murderous antagonism toward the squirrels was fading away slowly. Then something happened a few days ago that made me embrace the squirrels more fully. I was standing in my kitchen looking out the window. A gray/brown squirrel was there in the grass, on its hind legs, with a large nut in its front paws. It was chewing and turning the nut, chewing and turning–its jaws and teeth moving really fast with tiny but forceful motions tearing the husk of the nut, little pieces flying all around. My heart softened as I looked at the little beast and noticed how human the gestures of the front paws were. And then the squirrel cocked its head and looked straight at me. Our eyes met and locked for a long moment, and I felt appreciation for and connection with the squirrel. In that moment I released the hatred I had been holding for squirrels, which included wishing them dead. I felt freer. Dealing with the squirrels in the garden is not simple, and I will still get angry and frustrated when they destroy one of my plants. But there is a deeper acceptance along with that anger and frustration–it is part of coexisting with other living beings, like the anger and frustration I get from coexisting with other human beings from time to time. There is a story of a meditation center where people would meditate on benches near a pond, and there was a problem with turtles from the pond nipping at the feet of people when they were trying to meditate. A turtle expert was consulted and asked, “Can you do something about these turtles?” He studied the situation and came back with his conclusion: No, it was best for the turtles to remain in their habitat and it was best for the people meditating to learn to cope with turtles occasionally nipping at their feet. PRAYER: May turtles and humans and squirrels be blessed, each blessed by the creator, the mysterious Giver of Life, each blessed to live their life in the way that they know is right. May I find my place in the harmony of the universe, my steps in the Great Dance, my voice in the Great Choir. May my yard, my neighborhood, my city, be home to many living creatures. May it be so. Rev. Andrew Frantz |
Comments are closed.
|
Rev. Andrew FrantzUUFCM Minister Office hours:
In-person and via Zoom: Tuesday 10-noon Wednesday 1-3 & 8-9pm Office Hours Zoom Link Outside of Office Hours, Drew is reachable at any time via text, phone, or email. Day off: Monday Contact for emergencies only minister@uufcm.org Phone/text: 440-935-0129 Pastoral Care Concerns
For support with life’s challenges, please contact Drew during his office hours or make an appointment with him. For specific needs such as rides to medical appointments or meals for people recovering from illness or surgery, please contact the Caring Team (formerly Arms Around) via Jen Prout at 989-400-3130 or poutyprouty66@gmail.com. Every effort will be made to lessen the burden on the individual or family who is dealing with a difficult circumstance. Archives
April 2024
Categories |