Deer and Flowers

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Something beautiful can make all the difference on a day in which one is depleted. Today and last night, to curb loneliness among the tasks of the day, I carried a picture of a deer that was on a small card I have never had the heart to mail to anyone, as I like it -- but which emerges and vanishes in a messy desk at regular intervals.

On the way home from grocery shopping in the evening, what did I see down the street? A young deer that bore a striking resemblance to the image on the card.

Interestingly enough, he was nibbling on a rose of sharon bush in early bloom, only a few yards away from a "wild dog" that has been known to terrorize the neighborhood. The dog was tied up, and I suspect some of his hijinks are due to loneliness -- but I remain guarded anyway.

The deer had its grace as protection, its youth, its ability to run. I was reminded that there are a variety of ways to be strong.

I may not be a fast runner anymore, but I sure as heck can still appreciate a deer. And I'll settle for a card, but the real thing is better.

I tutored for the last time this summer a few days ago and was given a bouquet of flowers by the mom of my student. Another moment of something beautiful, unexpected and unbidden.

Am I still depleted from battling not one, but two "Trojan horses"? Yes. I never knew they existed. So, while I have words and keystrokes available, I'd better hit "publish" before whim fades and my inner editor takes over -- or the latest electronic glitch.