Turn off CNN. Turn off MSNBC. Turn off my phone. Look out the window. Step outside. Look, look, look. What do I see when I look? I see that I am surrounded by creatures great and small, as busy living as we are. But how connected are we to these beautiful and, in my view, quite amazing beings?
Having been forced by the COVID pandemic to retire early, I’ve been thrown back on resources I’d never really tapped. Mostly the capacity for mindfulness, an appreciation for the so-called little things in life, and, especially, an awareness of the natural world in my own semi-suburban neighborhood.
Much to my surprise, I’ve discovered that I co-habit with Canada geese, foxes, coyotes, deer, chipmunks, rabbits, racoons, and small birds and hawks. Oh, and worms, beetles, slugs, and other creepy crawlies.
And what about the trees, plants, and flowers? The flowering blossoms of a cherry tree or a magnolia in a front yard. Rich red leaves on a neighbor’s maple tree. Green grass on someone’s front lawn. And my own land cultivated by my husband, Don, artist, horticulturist, and dreamer.
Waking Up and Smelling the Daffodils
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to develop an awareness of and connectedness with the smallest of Mother Nature’s precious gifts. Perhaps it’s because I spent the first sixty-two years of my life living in apartments.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve focused on my work a bit too much. Or perhaps because the extraordinary number of hours I’ve spent in Central Park were devoted to ruminating, planning, and dreaming.
Having said all of this – a confession of sorts, I suppose — I’d like to share some videos and one glorious poem by William Wordsworth about my favorite flowers. I chose them to remind us that Mother Nature’s creatures great and small are our intimates and our necessary companions. And are they funny!
Let’s kick off the show with a cute baby animal video. I watch this stuff when I’m feeling down or low on energy. And when I laff, as I always do, life is better, brighter, and even beautiful.
Have you ever wondered what animals are thinking and feeling? As the mother of two cats, Fluffypuss and Peekaboo, I often ponder their inner lives. I know they have them, but I don’t get much information from them about this. Respecting their privacy and the all-sacred boundaries, I do not probe. (Although I am considering parent/child counseling.)
And Now a Touch of The Poet
The English poet William Wordsworth had an extraordinary life and created some of the most beautiful poems I’ve ever read. A brilliant wordsmith, Wordsworth championed the cause of the French revolution and considered himself a democrat (small “d”) and a staunch supporter of democratic ideals.
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Creatures Great and Small Including Squirrels!
Lastly I want to give a shout out to the squirrels, each of whom I’ve named Skippy, and whom I’ve come to enjoy since deserting New York City for the wilds of ‘Burbia, the land that time forgot. You see, in ‘Burbia the squirrels aren’t aggressive.
‘Burbian Skippys don’t snatch your PB&J sandwich out of your hand as you sit on a bench in Washington Square Park (FYI: New York City) pondering the demise of the world. Nope. They mind their own business and get the job done, having lots of fun along the way. (BTW, squirrel babies are adorable!)
Let us save our earth and the living beings that inhabit her.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
