White tailed deer

Dear "Spuds"

At some point in your life you will learn how disappointing the human race can be.  We lie, steal and kill, often for no good reason. We set fire traps to shoot at people who volunteer their lives to save ours, we barge into elementary schools, malls, movie theaters, high schools with guns loaded with hate and the desire to prematurely end lives.

However, even though humans may fail our envision of what God may have intended for us I hope I can enstill in you the peacefulness nature can provide. While, nature still has it's own sense of forcefulness, it is in the end pure.

Today is Christmas.  It is your dad's and mine last Christmas as just the two of us.  As with tradition, we took a walk through Mendon Ponds park to feed the chickadees.  There was a fresh coating of snow from the night allowing for fresh animal tracks to be visible.

left by a little mouse

  The birds were abundant. The chickadees were happy to oblige in our fondness of having them land on our hands, taking as many sunflower seeds as possible.

That's your dad with a chickadee!

black capped chickadee

The nuthatches happily peeped as they creeped up and down the trees and the woodpeckers were busy looking for their next meal. 

White breasted Nuthatch

Red-bellied woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

There was a sense of peacefulness and serenity.  A moment when you could forget about the outside world and lose yourself in it. If I could teach you one thing, it would be to appreciate the nature surrounding you.  In the end, it is what we have to return us back to our humanness as God intended. 

I look forward to being able to carry on this tradition with you and to be able to watch your face as the birds land on your hand.  I look forward to being able to name the birds with you, look for leaves and identify the trees and look for animal tracks in mud or snow.

There is good in the world.  You just have to know where to look. 

Love,
Mom