Lessons from a Squirrel

A few days ago, Anne and I drove up the canyon to get away from the city and enjoy some time alone, some peace in nature, and the beautiful weather.

We packed a few snacks to enjoy as we hiked along a well-worn trail. We passed through several picnic areas and chose one that was kind of isolated and off the beaten track. We sat down to relax and enjoy the serenity and closeness we felt to one another. 

A squirrel sitting on top of a big log harvesting pine nuts paused and came over to check us out. It seemed a bit annoyed at having us near its staging area, but before long appeared to realize we were there for the duration, so it just left and got on with its work.

Suddenly, the squirrel flipped its tail and scampered off, only to reappear moments later with a green pinecone in its mouth. It eyeballed us again to let us know it would really appreciate it if we left so it could work in peace. But again, we didn’t get the hint and continued to watch. It finally shrugged its shoulders and headed down the log where we assumed it stored its winter food.

We enjoyed sitting at the table watching in fascination for twenty or thirty minutes as the squirrel worked. Remnants of its work lay on the table and scattered on the ground below. We knew we were in its territory but were fascinated watching it hard at work.

At one point we decided to examine a pinecone lying near us that the squirrel had started to work on but for some reason had not completely emptied. We picked it up to for a closer look and were surprised by what we found.

Starting at the top, the squirrel had meticulously peeled off layer after layer of the cone, gathering the nuts embedded in each. We were impressed at its organization and diligence as it gathered food for winter. With skill, it found, retrieved, harvested, and stored its crop in an effective and time efficient manner. 

When we left, I am sure this little squirrel said a silent prayer of gratitude and exhaled a big sigh of relief. As we walked away, we spied the hole under the log where it was storing its winter supply.

After Anne and I got home we checked google for answers to some of our questions and learned that squirrels consume two-thirds of the pine nuts found in the forest. We were amazed, but not really surprised. After all, we watched just one squirrel hard at work gathering nuts and realized that countless others were hard at work doing the same thing. Utah, where we live, has a pretty hefty squirrel population, in fact, squirrels outnumber humans in the state by about 20:1. That’s a lot of nuts!

This squirrel’s work ethic is nature’s way of helping it survive. It knew what to do to get through the winter months. Nature is amazing and so beautiful to watch.

One of our major responsibilities as parents is to teach our children the skills that they will need to someday live and thrive on their own, not only in pleasant days of plenty but in whatever cold and darker days of trouble may lay ahead. Like our little squirrel, let’s get on with our task and not let anything distract us from reaching our goal of helping our children succeed.

Happy Failing Forward, 

Calvert and Anne