A Moment with Donna…. Mabel, The Racoon

Can a racoon be a master teacher?

Problems, challenges…life is full of them. Who doesn’t have them at one time or another? How often does it seem that Murphy’s Law is operating at full capacity? By the way… if you have not heard of that statement, Murphy’s Law, it is about how when events in life seem to go wrong, go wrong…it is when one negative condition after another comes up, until the law is fulfilled. What that means is we ride the white rapids of agitation, discomfort, sometimes misery, until we get to smoother, quieter flows of harmony.

A wonderful woman of Lebanese background taught me the phrase, ‘This too shall pass.’ I use it whenever the bumps and grinds of life create chaos that I really would like to ignore, but cannot.

It seems that in my backyard I have a university that offers classes. The teachers come from different species and with quiet powers of observation I can learn lessons that can be readily applied to my life and environment.

An old oak tree, dead for many years, stands tall and straight, a skeleton of its former self. The old oak is used by racoon families to train their young ones to navigate through the highway system of our connecting forest of trees. One day, an enthusiastic young racoon was trying out various ways of getting about in my neighborhood. He got bored with the old oak, was being challenged by the difficulties of climbing up and down, decided he would try my wood fence instead. I noticed some movement on the ground and saw a large mama racoon watching this youngster go away from the old oak to the fence. (I named her Mable… assuming it was a female, I didn’t give it a bunny test to be sure of its gender),

It was easy for the young racoon to get to the top of the wood fence. He was happily walking the tightrope of cedar planking, when he realized he had to do the very same thing he had needed to do on the old oak. That was to turn around and/or walk backwards. He was stuck. He didn’t know what to do. Mable, mama racoon, was watching him carefully from her hidden observation point and started to talk to him, chirping, chattering rapidly, trying to help him get to that safe point where he could exit the fence. His comprehension was seriously lacking. However, he managed to slowly backup, could not understand how he could turn around. Finally reaching the point where he could do so…he froze. Could not move.

I had noticed that Mabel, had disappeared from ground level. As I continued to watch the young one totally immobilized by his fear calling out for help, Mabel appeared on an adjoining fence section, calling, and talking him over to her. Once close enough, she grabbed him by the scuff of the neck with her strong jaws and sharp teeth, scolding him as she took him to safety. A Mama’s love in action, letting the youngster explore, test, and fail…then making sure he was safe. Sound familiar?

Love has many different expressions and life is rich with them. Sometimes the discovery and experiences we associate with love can be disappointing, painful, stressful…yet, we need to be aware that love is ever present in our life only hidden because of our fears and lack of understanding that we are love in action, if we choose to be aware of it. Also, when we are in challenging situations, we need to make it ok to ask for help. We might get scolded for doing dumb things, being afraid and just like that youngster racoon, we evolve through the challenges, obstacles we encounter. The Mabel’s in life surround us every day so we can have opportunities to grow into a bigger and better part of ourselves, regardless of our lack of knowledge. It is a process we call evolution of self.

February is the month where chocolates, flowers, beautiful cards are sent and shared with those we love and care for. Love, like a rainbow, expresses itself in so many unique and different ways. The love and appreciation of oneself, ones’ talents and more, enables us to make life a very rich experience, both for others as well as ourselves. Give yourself a valentine, appreciate that you fill a very special purpose in this experience called life.

Have a fabulous month and a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Love, Donna Seebo