Nirvana

May 20, 2019

(TW sad animal story.)

Yesterday I saw the most heartbreaking thing. It was a lovely warm spring day and after yoga, I was in front of the garage working on the lawnmower. I went into the garage and I could hear a swarm of flies buzzing like they do when something is dead. I did not see or smell anything, I got my tools and returned outside. As I was working on the machine, a large, mainly white, Opossum came creeping out of the garage. I commented to “him” that I did not normally see him this time of the day. He just looked at me and I noticed he was dripping blood from his mouth. When he walked he had the most painful limp. Usually, when a 4 legged animal has a hurt leg they walk on three and lift up the injured one. However, this Possum was hobbling. He had a very uneven back and I wondered if his back was broken or maybe his hip. We looked at each other for several moments; I told him how sorry I was. My first thought was to go get the shotgun and put an end to his misery, but he seemed to communicate to me that he had one last place to go and would I just let him go in peace. He would move one step and rest, move one step and rest, each step seeming to take all the energy he had, and each time he would find just enough for one more step. It was like we had a shared moment, an understanding about death, and understanding how I too may know the feeling of one more battle, one more responsibility, or one more mile until I take my final rest.

Nirvana