During the COVID lockdown, in my son’s words, my daughter and I “domesticate” a squirrel.
Right before the world shut down, my son was living in Spain. As country after country began to lock down and with the threat of shutting down our entire border, my son literally got safely back home to the US by the hair on his chinny chin chin.
Just thinking about the scramble everyone was at that time brings the panic back, which makes my energy systems get a bit wonky and scattered. It’s like energy residue just under the surface.
As the weeks turned to months, my son would walk around the house proclaiming loudly and occasionally muttering, “I’m not supposed to be here!!!” I would acknowledge that truth and reply: “No you’re not! I’m thankful because we’ll never have this opportunity to be together again, this nutty forced togetherness.”
March in Massachusetts is cold and gray which makes our togetherness a tad bit more trying living through a global pandemic.
Squirrels. (Que the dogs in UP)
It all began with me tossing my crust from my peanut butter toast on the deck and progressed to us sitting watching this squirrel eat the toast.
This squirrel would sit on our patio table enjoying breakfast. Then it would wait at the sliding door, and we began making the squirrel his own toast. It would sit on the other side of the glass door while we were on the other, eating breakfast together.
Our squirrel would come to the glass slider and look in and see if we were by the kitchen island or it’d just hang out by the door. Our conversations were about the fact that the fattening up squirrel thought of itself as a dog because he certainly acted like one!
How you might be asking? It sat like a dog and would lay down in our beloved Indy’s spot and hang in the sun. It would curl up by the door and lift its head every time someone went into the refrigerator. It demanded our attention!
I would say it was better than TV (Squirrel vision I called it) because who wants to be watching 24/7 commentary on our world’s sickness and heartbreak?
Why am I sharing this squirrel story?
There is an invisibility to our lives. The connections. The commonality. The oneness. I believe that humans are good. That love is at the center of all of us. And even when I am proven wrong (sometimes over and over) I remain in faith and trust that goodness will prevail.
I try to notice goodness. I share goodness. I experience goodness. I’m thankful for goodness.
And when I don’t, I allow those triggered parts to come forward and be heard and seen. My intention is focusing on what I want and am grateful for, not what I don’t want to experience.
“Where attention goes, energy flows; where intention goes energy flows!” One of James Refield’s famous quotes expresses this more eloquently.
So, where is your attention and intention going? On the goodness and joy in the moment? Or to fear? Anger? Or discontent?
You’re so energetically powerful. Practice being mindful of both your attention and intention because you are always creating. Cherry pick what you can repeatedly say “thank you, thank you, thank you” for daily.
Being mindful of signs, serendipity and messages are how I roll. Back then I looked up the symbolism for the squirrel. I was taken aback that the squirrel represents change, gratitude, connection and the masters of adaptability (which we had all shown and practiced our skills of during that time).
Symbolism of the squirrel
As with most things, there is no one definition or no one way to see it. Generally, the squirrel represents:
- Renewal
- Adaptability
- Change
- Spirit
- Playfulness
- Resourcefulness
- Connection with earth and sky energies
- Gratitude
- Foresight
Seel https://www.spiritanimal.info/squirrel-symbolism/
That pandemic squirrel brought so much joy and I was grateful for the connection!
Looking back, the grounding and keeping in the present moment was important then and daily. Even if we did kinda, sorta domesticated him!
Journal Prompt
Writing and vocalizing: Thank You. Thank you. Thank you.
Say and write three times each day.
This exercise is different from your gratitude list but just as powerful. Using the tone and sound of speaking THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU vibrates and shifts inward and outward! (Saying THANK YOU as soon as your feet hit the floor is a power intention statement.)
Thankful Footing
Upon awakening and planting your feet on the ground!
Beginning your day on the right foot!
Call in gratitude!
Say OUT LOUD!
THANK YOU!
Thank you!
Thank you!
To the Universe.
To your body.
To your spiritual body.
To your emotional body.
Say a loud, bold Thank You!
Let your voice reverberate throughout the UNIVERSE!
Hold the intention of a simple Thank You for the blessing of this new day.
Try this too: Daily Earthing
During times of overwhelm and uncertainty it is extremely important to connect with Mother Earth!
Walking barefoot daily connecting with grass, soil or beach sand is essential for your mind, body & soul.
Listen to the audio companion:
