Saturday, December 31, 2016

TIME FOR PLAY...

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...





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