One Small Purpose...

Warm Wishes and Merry Meet Family, Friends, Followers and Lurkers!

So, yesterday I wrote the first poetry I had in a very long time. Words and images had been swirling around in my psyche for days, like a song that you can't get out of your mind. When I'd finished writing and was about to sign and date the poem, I noticed that it was January 24th. My Dad's birthday. My Dad passed away several years ago. I was struck with sadness. Until that moment...I had forgotten. I decided I would dedicate the poem as my gift to him.

I had to admit, I was no longer the cheerful little self I had been when I woke up that morning. Memories of my Dad began pouring in and I recalled one of our last conversations. "I'm going to miss you", he told me as he lay dying. That was it...I was pretty much done for the day!

Still, I had things to do. I had no time to indulge my melancholia, so I went upstairs to jump into the shower. When I got out, I looked out from our frosted bathroom window at the snow that still blankets our backyard. "Oh.My.God." I complained to no one in particular, "It's so friggin' cold!" Looking down at our Koi pond, almost completely covered by ice, I shivered just imagining how cold the water must be.

As I gazed wistfully out the window, thinking thoughts of Spring, I noticed something swimming frantically around in the icy water. I suspected it was a fish in distress, but as I looked closer, I realized that it wasn't a fish at all. Whatever it was, it was paddling around the pond like a little dog! I screamed, "RAY!!!!" "There's a.....MOUSE in the pond!" So now, butt nekkid and barely dry, with hair that was dripping wet, I toss on my bathrobe, trying desperately to zip it up, with my sneakers hanging half off my feet as I ran down the stairs. I rushed by Ray, who looked out the window and proclaimed, "awwww", as I slid out onto the three inches of ice that is now our deck. "How the hell am I going to get down the steps?", I wondered. Ginger already had to be rescued three times that morning because they were too slippery for her to climb. My guess was that I would be "ass tobogganing", but this obviously was not my first preference. Still, there was no time to figure it out. I knew if the mouse were to slip beneath the frozen portion of the pond, there would be no way to save him. Clinging to the railing, I actually made it down the steps, ass intact. As luck would have it, the pond net was leaning against the railing so I grabbed it and used it to steady myself as I made my way across the frozen tundra to the pond. I know, I know! The Drama! There, swimming for his dear little life, was a tiny mole! He was trying desperately to find his way out, but his little mole feet kept sliding off the ice. Given that moles are blind, he was at a distinct disadvantage. I quickly scooped him out and found a place near the deck without snow to lay him down. He was alive, but just lying there motionless. It didn't look hopeful.

It was then I realized how friggin' cold it actually was. The wind whipped through my bathrobe and my hair, once wet, had completely frozen! Then I panicked! HYPOTHERMIA!!!! I dropped the net and as quickly as I could, slid my way back up the steps and ran into the house. Ray, still standing at the window asked "Got em, huh?" "Yeah, I got em", I replied, shivering and completely out of breath. "I need something to wrap him in! I need to bring him inside or he'll die!." Ray spun around, looking incredulous and yelled, "What??!!!" You can't bring him in!!!! He's a rodent! You're going to get bitten! Do you want to get rabies?!" All valid points, with the exception of the rabies part. Your chance of getting rabies from a mouse or mole are extremely low, given that anything with rabies that's big enough to bite a mouse or mole will usually kill it. But, enough "Rodent Trivia", I was in rescue mode. I grabbed a dish towel and ran back outside to get the victim. I made it, once again, down the icy steps, only to find that he was gone! And I was...elated!!!

When I came back in, Ray looked at me, relieved to see I was "mole-less", but certain I'd lost my mind. He then proceeded to give me his best, "You Can't Risk Your Life to Save a Mole" speech. But, I wasn't listening. At that moment, I realized that the sadness I had in my heart had lifted.

Perhaps, I am...a little mad, but I will say this in defense of my insanity. So often, we hear of fulfilling one's "purpose in life". I suspect that some hope that this purpose will result in all things wonderful and extraordinary. I believe our lives hold many purposes of varying degrees of importance and that often we fulfill them without ever trying.

Yesterday, my purpose was to save a mole's life. His life holds no less purpose than mine and for me, there was no purpose more grand.

In Darkness, Light!

Tracy