Sometimes falling asleep doesn’t come quickly for me which causes me to toss and turn trying to get comfortable, all the while trying not to disturb my husband who has already drifted off into his own slumberland. Usually when I can’t settle down I merely lie quietly and utter some quiet prayers to myself which eventually relax me enough to finally find I’ve drifted off to enjoy my own night of rest. Last evening was one of those restless nights and as I lay on my side of the bed, my head resting on my pillow, covers nicely drawn up over my shoulders I heard a sound coming from the outside near our bedroom window. Normally, I don’t pay any attention to such matters especially when it means exchanging my warm spot under the blankets for the chill of the house. But, since, I was fully awake I thought I’d investigate so I walked quietly to the small window in our adjoining bathroom. Ah, when my eyes focused with help from the light being provided from the moon behind a cloudy night sky, I could clearly see five adult deer in the backyard. One was walking away from the deck where most certainly he or she had munched on the dead corn stalks from bird seed that had sprouted, or the dried ferns that always are allowed to winter over. As though standing guard, two strong looking animals stood mid yard where the septic drain field is laid. Meanwhile two others ambled back and forth slowly, taking time to peruse surroundings while munching on plants still poking their way through a bed of pine needles, or taking bites of bright green needles from low hanging branches. I became mesmerized by their nighttime beauty and probably watched them for about 15 minutes before returning to the warmth of my side of the bed, falling asleep with warm covers accented by contentment observing these creatures of beauty.

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This afternoon, I decided to make a social media post about our visitors, in an effort to share something light hearted yet enduring. My post read “Last night about 11:15 pm I heard movement in the back yard near our bedroom window…..two of them dining on and under a pine. These creatures are beautiful and I’m glad our pines offer nourishment in the winter months”.    My post got 17 likes, two women agreed regarding their beauty and grace, one family member replied “they would have been beautiful in my freezer”…and two other friends commented how the deer eat their bird seed and fruit trees, but agreed on their beauty.

During my walk today I listened to a podcast teaching how to take care of mental health, using meditation, natural supplements, and exercise as remedies. In a portion of the presentation Andrea talked about how situations come into our lives and no two people will react or respond in the same way. Some will be able to remain positive while others quickly turn to the negative aspects of what’s happening. That made me think about my social media post regarding my neighborhood visitors from last night. I KNOW deer are roaming my property because their footprints are evident by the many criss cross tracks left behind. But knowing and seeing are two different experiences. In my 15 minutes of quiet observation I was allowed to see how they stand strong and erect, their slow methodical wandering through the yard in search of food, long or short gazes to make sure they are safe, and their ability to ignore when a car drives down the side road, drivers completely oblivious to this nighttime feeding activity taking place under our pine tree. 

I thought about how my serene moments under a gray nighttime sky gave me peace, contentment, and awe while reactions from my post brought out the pesty behavior they create when eating bird seed and fruit trees, and the benefit of many comfort foods that have venison as a main ingredient. We all have perspective and it seems to stem from our main experience with circumstances.

I thought of our pine trees, too. They serve many purposes for us. They help shield our house from strong winds and noise from passing cars. They provide shade in the summer and strong branches for nesting birds or squirrels. The pine needles that drop and layer the ground beneath are a comfortable place to walk or even sit for a spell. When we need to trim branches, the dried wood is used for summer and fall bonfires. The numerous pine cones that fall to the ground are great kindling for those fires when friends come to roast marshmallows, swap stories, sit under early dusk skies that soon give way to a star studded night, maybe with the moon joining in to pour down light from the heavens.

Perspective, React, Respond. They are all words that provoke deep thought and assign us  emotions. Today, I choose to respond with gratefulness for witnessing my nighttime visitors, to actually see them making tracks in the snow rather than missing out on 15 minutes of nature coming to visit. While I don’t enjoy missing a good rest, I’d be disappointed not having the pleasure of their company, even if from my window.

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