While watching tv last night, I heard this thud, actually because my living room is mostly underground, I felt the thud...I had hoped that it was just a car running over garbage or some sort of other debris but after I kept hearing vehicles making the same thud noise, I realized it was likely an animal. So with flashlight in hand I headed outside and around the corner of the house and partially up the hill...shinning the light in several directions I settled on a motionless form lying on the side of the road not quite off the main drive. I stopped in my tracks, sighed heavily and approached the figure...it was a young raccoon, clearly dead but not yet frozen to the road. I turned back around, headed to the garage, grabbed the snow shovel since it was the closest and easiest to find and headed back up the road.
Cars passed by in both directions, none really slowing or even making notice that I was standing roadside. When it was clear, I scooped up the little raccoon and walked it over to the field behind my house. Since I didn't have a shovel I could actually dig with, I placed its motionless body in a small dip in the ground and gathered many leaves to cover it with. I then said a few kind words, prayed for its family, its soul and asked that it didn't suffer. Prayed that its journey to heaven was peaceful and that it was happy running around with all the other animals I have picked up off the road and done the very same thing for.
I realize death is part of the natural order of things, but it never becomes easier. I have often told mom that when God was handing out empathy, and compassion I must have stood in those lines far too many times than the regular person. It seems to be more often than not, a hindrance rather than a positive. I have no way to control my love for those around me, animal or human...I am what I am, I am what God made me.
Maybe at some point, I can fully accept all the flaws that are innate within me and actually embrace them and leave the world a better place than when I found it.
When I lived on Camano Island I would walk a lot. Often times I would come across an animal that had died from being hit. My spiritual practice was to lay the animal to rest in the woods to become part of natures circle. Where it could feed the forest and go back to from where it came. In Peace GW
ReplyDeleteYou are a blessing and a gift to the the world and what you are doing with your gifts to me appear worthy and loving gw
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