About a week ago, our resident raccoon showed up on our deck at dusk with six babies toddling along in her wake. They came, of course, to investigate the bird feeders I’d yet to take in for the evening, but when I saw the babies, and how thin the mother raccoon looked, I left the feeders hanging for a while longer.
I watched her as she held on to the post and stood to stretch for the sunflower seeds above. She was clearly still nursing her enormous brood, and looked skinny and exhausted. No doubt the forest ranger who lives next door would have been appalled at the sunflower dinner, but I really didn’t care. And in case you’re wondering, I’m not entirely without common sense when it comes to wilderness issues: the feeders come in every evening to discourage the rather large bear that’s lived in this neighborhood for at least as many years as we have, and I understand that leaving food out for the area wildlife is not a smart thing to do.
On the other hand, I remember very clearly being a newly-divorced single mom, and lying awake night after night, paralyzed with the fear of not being able to feed or provide for my tiny son. I don’t have any idea if the raccoon mom worries about anything, of course. But the following night, I took the feeders in and left her an offering on the rail, some leftover grapes and most of an apple that we didn’t finish with our dinner. Throwing them into the garbage seemed wrong, almost like a deliberate and defiant act in the face of another being’s obvious hunger.
I’d make the whole world a sandwich and a cup of tea if I could, but I can’t. Like I hope most people do, I give when and to the degree that I can. But sometimes, the simple truth that others are in need”and that includes raccoons”can be an overwhelming burden. One of my favorite quotes is by Edward O. Wilson: “A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy.” An apple seems a small thing to share with a hungry mother. And I will continue to believe that compassion for all the life that shares this planet with us is a good thing to have.
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