Have You Ever Watched a Squirrel?

I've been sitting here at my desk this morning doing my usual things:  reading, writing in my prayer journal, checking this morning's emails and news clips, and watching out my window.  The sun is shining this morning and we're supposed to reach a high temperature today of 26 degrees-a heat wave!  There is a little wind, I see, as the neighbor's flag stands almost straightout, flapping in the wind.  The VERY BIG evergreen tree across the street is gently moving, the top half one direction, the bottom half the other direction (wonder why that is).  And my little squirrel friend (the one who attaches himself to my kitchen window) is busy, busy, busy this morning making countless trips back and forth across the street.

As those of you who have been reading my posts know, I'm always looking for life's lessons in my daily activities and it occurred to me how much like that little squirrel we should be.  I've been watching this little guy for about an hour now.  He climbs the tree in my yard, jumps from limb to limb, runs back down the tree, across my yard, across the street (he's very good at watching the traffic), up the neighbor's steps into his yard, around the side of his house, around the bushes, then up into the neighbor's tree where he jumps from limb to limb, down the side of the tree and back over to my yard. 

Now, I don't pretend to understand squirrels.  Until very recently, I had just observed them from a distance.  My new found friend has demanded that I pay attention and so I have.  What I've learned is that, unlike we humans who worry about so many things, squirrels don't worry.  Whatever they need, will come.  Maybe not in my yard, maybe not in the neighbor's yard, but somewhere they know that what they need will be there.  And while he's looking for it, he's getting great exercise in the sun.  His nice heavy coat keeps him warm.  He knows that when he calls to me from my deck, I will come and listen to him.  I have no idea what he tells me most days, but there are those days when I am certain he's "venting" his concerns over something I did or didn't do. 

He's not worried.  He trusts the universe to provide what he needs.  Maybe we should all watch the squirrels a little closer, although I suspect the lesson would be lost on many who like the worry and scurry of their lives.