The Fox and the Hound

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"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9, ESV

There is are two, cute little foxes making a life for themselves and their kits in our neighborhood. How charming and picturesque.

Squirrel wants to MURDER them.

My right arm, which is now three inches longer than my left, can attest to this fact. I have no on-topic photo to offer on this post, as whenever the fox comes out to play, my only focus is on keeping my arm from being ripped from my body. Squirrel will jump up on his back legs and proceed to hop backwards, kangaroo-style, as I pull him toward home. It's actually impressive how long he can stand on his back legs while barking at the top of his lungs.

At 5:30am. The neighbors love us.

I'm not sure what's running through Squirrel's pea-sized brain (sorry, my fur son) when he sees the fox, but I imagine it's something very dramatic like, "THREAT! DESTROY OR BE DESTROYED!!"

I hate to break it to you, buddy, but if you left that poor, little critter alone and just lived your life, everything would be fine. In fact, it would be better for all parties involved.

My personality tends to lend itself to the more cautious, anxious-side. The hours I have spent lying awake at night worrying about the next day must add up to around 4-5 years. What if the meeting goes poorly? What if I can't find a parking spot and am late? What if I can't figure out the new metro line? What if a meteor hits the earth and wipes out America (actual sleepless night in middle school)?

When a worry hits my brain, it consumes me. All I can see is that fox trotting around the neighborhood, there to kill me. I can't take in the sun rising, the birds singing in the trees, the gentle breeze, or the beautiful flowers to pee on. If I was Squirrel, anyway.

I also miss that Someone next to me saying, "It's okay, honey, the fox isn't going to hurt you. Come on, now, let's keep moving forward. It's going to be okay."