Stan Thought It Was a Picnic. He Was Wrong.

Placing some bird seed on a small picnic table attached to a tree in our backyard seemed like a great idea to deter squirrels from my bird feeder while capturing adorable photos. I wanted to keep them happy too!

Little did I know—maybe if I had thought more about it, I would have—there is always a dominant player in the animal kingdom. The grey squirrel I named Stan, was the first to arrive. He was enjoying himself, not having to share the dish of bird food. It was very cute watching him sit at the table, front paws in the dish, just like I had imagined.

Then came the black squirrel—let's call him Frank—who arrived. Stan quickly understood his peaceful breakfast was now over. He ran off, giving Frank the room he demanded. Frank ate, but I could tell he was giving Stan the stink eye, making sure he didn’t come any closer.

Stan did try; I give him credit for that. There was enough for both, but Frank was having none of it. He barely had to twitch his body, which would send Stan scurrying to another part of the tree. 

Belinda to the rescue (another grey squirrel)! Usually, Stan and Belinda got on quite well. But Frank made them nervous, so they chased each other too, each one wanting just a morsel of the forbidden food.

​As Stan and Belinda distracted each other, Frank managed to bury some of the precious birdseed in the mulch at the base of the tree. Even when he wasn't at the table, you knew he owned it.

I had seen them chase each other through the trees many times and had always wondered if they were playing or fighting. I'm not a squirrel pro, so I could never be sure. But this morning, it was very clear what was happening.

Good thing we humans know better... yeah, right.

DO WE???

When I look—very briefly, I might add—at what's happening "out there," I wonder. I see the rich getting richer; hoarding, and chasing others away from their wealth, while more people struggle to make ends meet. I see the wealthy bury their assets, hoping no one else can find them. The divide is quickly widening, making it feel increasingly hopeless.

"Share with those in need" sounds like sage advice, and there are MANY good-hearted, kind individuals who embrace this. Yet some days it feels like we're losing ground. How CAN we make a difference? I truly believe that eventually LOVE will prevail.

If those of us who understand what’s at stake, who want to foster change, we must amplify LOVE. LOVE needs to be louder. This isn’t about tearing each other down, but about kindness. Less anger, more gentleness; fewer frowns, more smiles; less hoarding, more generosity. 

If more of us exemplified gentleness toward one another, I wonder what our world would be like then?