In the
final hours of this tumultuous year of 2016, there is the human need
to recap and revisit – and, hopefully, to regroup for what is
ahead. Besides all of the
seismic events on the national political scene, we each have our own
lives and life events, which can have the power to shift our personal
landscapes as well. For me, the past year contained the sorrow of
losing beloved family pets, the joy of reconnecting with old friends,
the sense of accomplishment in finally getting a Smartphone and
learning how to text, family health scares, babysitting emergencies,
and, through it all, the refuge and wonder of the natural world...
One of
the highlights of the year was back in the Spring, when I received a
call from my good friend, Libby, who lives in a log home built
against a hillside in Leverett. Her back “yard” resembles a
Chinese landscape painting, replete with nestled boulders and
sheltering pines. Libby was inviting me to come and observe a family
of grey foxes which had set up housekeeping in a cave-like space
created by a juxtaposition of boulders about halfway up the hillside.
From the comfort of a small window in her bedroom, she had been
watching the comings and goings of the parents, as well as the antics
of the five (adorable!) kits. On sunny days, such as the one during
which I visited, there were naps on the warm rocky ledges outside
the den, and then lots of nipping, wrestling, and tumbling –
followed by lunch with Mom.
About
a week later I heard from Libby again, this time to let me know that
the foxes had disappeared sometime during the night, and life had
become extraordinarily quiet. However, she also felt extraordinarily
lucky to have had the chance to witness the growing and nurturing of
this wild family – and to have been able to provide a safe setting
for their activities. Late one afternoon, much later in the summer,
she looked out the window to see the male parent, handsome and
identifiable because of a crooked ear, sitting on his favorite mossy
rock. She went outside to her deck to look, and, upon seeing her,
the fox made a couple of circles and flopped down on his spot to
stare back at her. She felt that it was an exceptional moment.
From
time to time we have to be reminded that life is filled with
miracles, and sometimes we only have to look out the window to catch
one. As a turbulent year comes to an end, a year that has seen hopes
dashed, shock and grief, ugliness and anger, common decency and
values turned upside down, there is some relief in knowing that not
even the pundits have all the answers. We need to stayed tuned in,
stay open, and not forget a sense of wonder...
