Feeding a deer may not be a great idea. But who can resist playing peak-a-boo with a deer? Or a stare-down with a deer? Or watching deer casually walking through your yard as if they own it.
The truth is. They do. Only humans are delusional about ownership.
We have boundary lines marked on our property because one of our neighbors monitors us to ensure we don’t do something on her side of the tiny strip of trees and bushes that divides our yard from her driveway. To keep her happy, we show her we know where we belong.
But what do creatures know of our boundaries or claims of owning land?
As we steadily destroy their homes, do they wonder why? Do they hate us for it?
As a child in the fifties, I read a book about creatures who invaded a home and returned it to the wilderness in revenge. (I’ve been trying to figure out what this book is for ages, so if you know, please tell me!)
But you and I know that revenge, power, and greed are human emotions, and basing any intent on those emotions never leads to something good.
So our deer, whom Del calls Junior and I call Gracie, doesn’t need us to feed her. But we do. Not only because we are on her land, but because we enjoy watching her being precisely who she is, a deer.
Gracie is part of a flock, but she often travels alone. She’s always aware of her surroundings. Gracie can stare at us much longer than we can stare at her. Besides, she can twitch her ears and flick her long white tail at us, two things I can’t do at all.
Isn’t it strange that we call people who do evil things animals?
Isn’t that backward?
What animal does evil things on purpose? If we drive animals to act like humans, then isn’t it our fault? If they have to compete for territories because we have taken away their homes, isn’t it because of human greed and the human need to own and control?
But see, I know we are not all human.
If only we could get past that description and illusion about ourselves and see our true Spiritual Nature.
Understand and experience that every one of us is a unique expression of the Divine. Then we would understand that those acting from greed and power are not like animals but are acting like humans.
When our emotions take us out of our spiritual awareness, we act like humans because we have temporarily forgotten the truth about ourselves.
All creatures, even humans, are meant to live in harmony. Grace, kindness, love, compassion, community, outreach, and generosity are all qualities of our True Spiritual Nature.
These are the things that Gracie reminds me about every time I see her. And despite her shrinking habitats because of humans, she takes the time to play with us.
That’s another thing the creatures of the world do better than humans. They know how to do what needs to be done and play equally. One moment the squirrel is busy hiding his winter stash, and a second later, he is scampering after a friend.
Gracie and her friends chase each other around the trees. I wish I could hear their laughter. I imagine as I overcome the limitations of the belief of being human that someday I will.
People tease Del and me because we do not desire an indoor pet. They say it’s because we have outdoor pets. We name them, feed them, and watch them be themselves.
But truthfully, we are probably their pets. And that probably works out better than the other way around.
BECA LEWIS coaches, teaches, writes blogs and books, plays with art, and is addicted to reading. She lives in Ohio with her husband and has kids and grandkids scattered across the country.
