Life Lessons from Two Squirrels

The calm of the afternoon on the weekend has been shattered. Alerted by the raucous barking furiously White and Keely, my two almost apoplectic West Highland White Terriers, I ran to the back door. They were jumping and clapping to the railing that borders the screen in the corner of the structure. It took only one second to discern what it was that drove these natural rodent hunters born of distraction, a squirrel had deigned not only disgusting to go into their yard, but he was hung, upside down, the screen outside the porch, just feet from the back door of their house! The kidnappers wanted mutts cry behind the fur of a squirrel. I saw the squirrel inside the porch, froze in terror, eyes wide open and hyperventilation, and too bewildered to escape without my help. I tried to coax it to turn and climb, where he could get on the roof and jumping to safety in a nearby tree. However, such was his panic he managed to run in the opposite direction, on the other side of the porch, positioned just inches away again from the jaws of my two ferocious chomping canine superhero: Wonder Westies. Grabbing a broom, I ran outside to the crash, in the hope that prohibit the passage of my dogs for a couple of seconds to give the squirrel a step ahead of freedom. It would have worked too if the creature did not fire panicked said shaft safety of a few meters and had to turn back right then wait by Keely steel trap jaws. I heard screaming squirrel’s final agony, and I pulled into the house, shouting for my husband. When he got downstairs, I started bawling my eyes. I remember saying several times: “I tried to save her, I swear I did. I tried! “I sent prayers for the brothers of the squirrel to get a clue and stay out of a five-yard predators in it. (I had three dogs and two cats at this time.) My tears continued for minutes. “Wussbiscuit” (ie, the opposite of a studmuffin “) Warning: I have a heart boiled known for all animals, I can not even go see a movie in which we could show fear, and much less be injured or killed. (For example, I cried for six weeks every time I told someone I had seen the film, The Bear, because the small loses her mother in the first few minutes.) So, some crying over the death of an animal in my own garden was to be expected. But I thought this a little excessive, I’m not naive about squirrels Damage can be done. My house has holes in it to prove it. I know that their species has overpopulation of these days, and part of me was still perversely proud and impressed by Keely and White tag team effort to protect their territory. Why, I wondered, was I unable to stop the water? An hour later, my husband informed me that our two furry rodent killers had been white for a second time and killed a Another squirrel when I was safely in my house. This time I shed a tear Seminary. Hmmm, I wondered. What possible difference was there between the two murders that I was accept it as part of the balance of nature, when the first got torn? I was in the middle of publishing my book Good Grief: Finding Peace after the loss of animals and was a sort of authority on this kind of thing, so I knew I had sent a message through the reading of this unusual scenario. Then it hit me, I was rescued from death of Squirrel first because in the moments before the dog caught and killed, I’d be tempted to intervene. In a few seconds, I had a responsibility to help deter squirrels and the death … failed. When the second died, I knew I had nothing to do with him and was able to accept the situation (although I was grateful that my husband was at home to dispose of two corpses as being to accept that such things happen and be prepared to touch dead creatures are two very different things). I thought hard about how this life lesson two squirrels may apply to only the animal lover grieving process, which are covered in my book, and I concluded this: In Western societies, death is regarded as an enemy, something to be kept in Bay, frustrated by all means, its role in the cycle of life denied. Because of our advanced technology, we have been tricked into thinking we actually have conquered nature, because medically we can prolong life, even if not in the best interest of the animal (or human) who has been refused permission to die a natural death if it is of its time. Because we feel responsible to do everything in our power to prevent death and to protect everyone we love any possible danger, when nature takes over and brings on the disease or life-threatening injuries and we can not defeat him, and so do not put our beloved companions, the guilt we we feel can be paralyzing. The people of least developed Nations as well as the animals themselves, both lack the sense that we are supposed to be able to prevent deaths and are therefore much more accepting of it as an element natural, even a valuable part of the life cycle, just a transition to another state of being. Who knows how much can be learned from a meeting of two minutes with a rodent? However, I am sorry these squirrels had to die for me to learn this lesson, but I have now made them martyrs on the Internet. It is no doubt look great on resumes squirrels soon after death.