Mommy Chipmunk

I saw Mommy Chipmunk today! I want to proclaim this news alongside the “big” news we read about everyday. Big news is the kind of news that the BBC or CNN puts up on their websites. And much of what they publish is very big indeed, for it affects millions of people. There are wars and potential wars. There is economic news. There are natural catastrophes. And don’t forget politics. As frustrating as it might be to read about the antics (yes, antics) of politicians, their actions can affect the lives of very many people. Included in the big news are stories that may not affect many people but still are of interest to them. Sports news is like this, I suppose. So too, the antics (yes, antics again) of celebrities seem to make the big news, though it is sad, I think, that the doings of strange and often spoiled people get published.

Here is a plug for something different — for small news — news that most likely will never be reported. Some news is of interest to only a few people, perhaps a family, perhaps only one person. And individual people — you, me, all other people — have their own news, small news. It might not make the networks, but it is still news, important to those it affects.

“Dog dies. Family mourns.” “Woman diagnosed with breast cancer. Woman is terrified.” “Car breaks down. Man on low income can no longer make it to work. Family devastated.” There is good news too. “Family gets new puppy.” “Biopsy proves negative.” “Jobless man hired.” And, one of my favorites: “Baby born.” All big news, to a few people.

There is even smaller news, news that is perhaps almost trivial, but which still affects people. “Water pipe breaks.” “Cell phone lost.” Trivial? Only if it is someone else’s life. “Man finally gets lawn mowed.” Ok. Very trivial. But, a good feeling, very good. For him. Also for his neighbors.

I want to add another category: beautiful small news. There are things that happen to people everyday that may not affect their outward lives, but affect their spirits, and do so in beautiful ways. “Man sees rainbow.” “Woman sees bird bathing in bird bath.” “Couple out walking see deer walking through neighborhood.” Such things are not big news. It is not right, though, to call them trivial, for these are beautiful events! Nature is filled with beauty, awesome beauty springing forth within a world of wonder.

Which brings me to Mommy Chipmunk. The wonderful thing about a blog is that a person can publish news that is perhaps important only to himself . This might not be important to you. But it is to me. Nevertheless, you may still like it, because it is, I think, beautiful.

There is a hole in our back lawn. It goes under the root of a tree that was cut down some years ago. I love that hole because as I look out the kitchen window I see little chipmunks running out of it and getting some of the seed that has fallen from the bird feeder. Some little chipmunks even make it up to the birdfeeder itself. And when a squirrel happens by and chases them away from what he thinks is his food, they move so fast —darting back to their hole.

Today, for the first time in a long while, I saw Mommy Chipmunk. She is about twice as large as her chiplets (I think that is a good word for small chipmunks). She was sitting in the middle of the lawn, but within running distance of the hole. She scratched herself. She looked around. She scratched herself again. She wasn’t even going for the birdseed. Perhaps she was just feeling relieved, relieved that her chiplets were alive and well. It doesn’t even matter that that she most certainly was not thinking that. I doubt chipmunks think much at all. It doesn’t matter because Mommy Chipmunk is a beautiful little animal. Her chiplets are beautiful little animals. And this beauty cheered me immensely as I looked out the window.

That is my news for today.

Thank you so much, Lord, for the beauty of this world.

http://youtu.be/V2RbFVRRtqI