My whole life, I have wanted to live in a place beautiful enough to have a squirrel want to live there too. Don’t get me wrong… I have lived in beautiful places; Northwell, South Africa, where I grew up, was very beautiful, in a windswept, rugged kind of way. And Northland, in New Zealand, was green and fertile, youthful and exuberant. These were very beautiful places to live but, alas, no squirrel. I have always had a picture in my mind of a big, 100-year-old oak tree shading my afternoon tea, dappled shade throwing oak leaf patterns upon the prettily embroidered table cloth as I watch the squirrels burying their acorns in the garden. Perhaps it’s all the Beatrix Potter I grew up with, but to me, this is where I have always wanted to live.
A while back, I decided to let go of my longing for ‘the perfect place to live’. Not that I stopped longing for good things… longing for good things is good… it drives us and motivates us. What I did was make a conscious effort to stop allowing my longing to overwhelm the joy I did have. I was in a place in my soul of great disequilibrium where I focused so strongly on the few little things that weren’t perfect in my life that it completely over-shadowed all the beautiful things that are so abundant around me. I realised that I could not be happy with what I had, this precious moment of now, if I was constantly wanting for something different… And, oh the happiness I have found since letting go! What I missed before!
And, would you believe, very soon after letting go and truly accepting the beauty around me (even if it wasn’t that of an English story book), guess who came to live in our little tree in the garden…
A squirrel!
Her name is Timone and she visits our fence each day, usually around lunch time. T, K and I watch her with delight. We give her a nut or two. At first we left the nuts on the fence. Then she allowed us to hand feed her…
Now she comes into the house to say hello!
She even jumps onto our laps!
Last spring, she had a baby in the palm tree in the front of the house and now her baby is grown up and comes to play in the Brazilian Pepper in the back garden with her… She is a highlight in our lives!
The moral of this story is… if you let go of all you don’t have and focus, instead, on all the joys you do have, perhaps, just perhaps, some of those things you wanted so badly before will find their way to you after all. I mean, look at me… here I am feeding a wild squirrel on my lap.
Blessings and magic.
Donni
24 Responses
She’s soooo cute!
I grew up in Miami, FL. and we had a huge avocado tree that was home to 5 squirrels. Two of them were close friends who would eat out of my lap. I’d sit on the ground and fill my skirt with seeds and nuts and they’d come down from their trees for a feast. It was so sweet! And what a great connection with nature!!!
What a lovely tale…words to live by I tell ya ;) Amazing that the squirrel has made a home with you all, tee hee…bet the kiddos LOOOVE it!
Jamie :)
You look cute! I can’t believe this squirrel story. I was always scared to get close to squirrels. I thought they would bite and give me rabies or little bugs would jump on me out of their fur! You ARE Beatrix Potter, aren’t you, Donni? Beth
Nice to meet you! I think your son has your looks. your daughter, too, but from those photos, definitely your son.
I am pleased you got your heart’s desire with Timone and also that she shared her family with you!
not sure…have you done a felted squirrel yet?
Sandy in the UK
My grandpa used t sit on the front porch and feed the squirrels. He would put pecans in the loops of his overalls and the squirrels would come up on his lap to retrieve them!
Yea for Timone!
I just love your story. I am a big fan of Beatrix Potter. Personally, it is a hedgehog I yearn to own. I owned an African Pygmy Hedgehog a few years ago, unfortunately she got cancer in her jaw and had to be put to sleep. But oh, how I’d love a Mrs. Tiggy Winkle!
Until then, I’ll enjoy Timone’s antics!
Living in the U.S., it’s unlikely that dream will be fulfilled. Hee, hee.
I’ve always been annoyed by squirrels — they would eat through our pumpkins long before Halloween. I would never have thought to allow one to get so close. Wow. It’s like magic. You clearly have such a gentle loving soul that Timone knew to trust you and love you.
And you are very brave. Good for you!
Oooh, I think your picture is darling. And it seems you are everything I expected. I love the squirrel friend. We used to have one many years ago before we had the kids. We had one last year that hung out at our front door although he was a bit jumpy so the girls were leery. I agree with Ivy and others who mention they can sense your loving soul. They certainly KNOW!
We have a little squirrel too and his name is Chippy we feed the little guy nuts and grains and he loves that,we look for him every spring and through the summer and fall.We have 3 huge very old red pines in our front yard I am sure that’s what attracts him, he loves the pine cones from those trees.Such a cute creature !
Diane
OMIGOSH! That is SO adorable – that Timone goes into your laps – We used to have many squirrels in our backyard, none of them behaved like that!
Awesome!!! Great pictures! You’re adorable too!
Such a nice post. I love that Timone is now a part of your family. Can’t get over the pictures of her- so cute!
magic!
I love your story, too. And am amazed!!! We have a squrrel family that lives in our tree. We had 2 babies last year. But, I’ve always been scared to get too close to them. Maybe I should be brave and see what happens? Timone looks SO cute and polite. :-)
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Marie
Hi,
what a very very beautiful story!! I can absolutely rely to what you said with giving up to hope for something instead of enjoying what we got…. am still not there though….
I am hoping for an apple tree and a fire place, will tell you if letting go will lead me to them!
I am reading on your blog only recently, but admire all your detailed instructions. And now that I can join your writings with your lovely face I will enjoy to read here even more!
Thanks for a magical tale!
Gabriele
how sweet – and what a message, about projecting your desires but then letting go and seeing what fate provides. The house I grew up in backed onto woodland, so we always had lots of squirrels frolicking in the garden, I kind of took it for granted, but love the excitement now on the children’s faces when we go to visit their nana, and they get to see the squirrels in her garden.
Letting go of ideals of what you don’t have is very brave. Putting your photo up for the first time is very very very brave!
Here’s to you reaping all the rewards your bravery has brought you!
We’ve got bunnies in our back yard, but they don’t venture anywhere near us…We’ll have to work on that.
Lovely thoughts and images. Thanks for sharing!
Timone is lovely x
She is adorable.
How sweet! I used to have a pet squirrel when I was a little girl. She would sit on my shoulder and try to burrow into my waist length hair. What a lovely friend you have to visit your home. :)
This is GREAT! I’m looking at a Waldorf school for my daughter in a few weeks and am now so inspired. Thanks!
Wow! – maybe there is hope for the flying squirrels that live around us. I just want to cuddle with one!!
-Alessandra