Every year on February 2nd the lowly groundhog gets a lot of attention. Much ado is made about whether winter will continue or spring will be 'springing'! This morning I have been contemplating the groundhog a bit.
The groundhog, or woodchuck, is one of 14 species of marmots. These rodents live a feast-or-famine lifestyle and gorge themselves all summer to build up plentiful reserves of fat. After the first frost, they retreat to their underground burrows and snooze until spring, drawing their sustenance from body fat. While hibernating, the animal's heart rate plunges, and its body temperature is not much warmer than the temperature inside its burrow.
Groundhogs are the largest members of the squirrel family. Though they are usually seen on the ground, they can climb trees and are also capable swimmers. These rodents frequent the areas where woodlands meet open spaces, like fields, roads, or streams. Here they eat grasses and plants as well as fruits and tree bark. Groundhogs are the bane of many a gardener. They can decimate a plot while voraciously feeding during the summer and fall seasons. (From National Geographic).
I would prefer to be a reverse groundhog. I would retreat to the mountains in the winter, gorge myself on wonderful comfort food, gaze up through bare branches at the bright blue sky or frolic in pure white snow. I would warm myself by a crackling fire. Then I would hibernate through the heat of the summer. Sometimes it is just hard to peek our heads out of the burrow and face the day. All of the worries of life just get too overwhelming. Friends who are sick, bills that keep mounting and the never ending stream of gloom and doom that runs through our news feed. Groundhogs simply burrow in, come out to eat, play and maybe swim a bit. They just go about their life.
The quest to simplify life continues for me, and each small step I take makes me a little more free and a bit more relaxed. I rely on social media to do my direct sales work but I relish the quiet of a solitary time, just me and God. I dream of that burrowing down to my special place, to play with yarn on knitting needles or crochet hooks, to cook favorite foods and to nap. My quest is not to be a millionaire, it is simply to have enough. Some days it seems even enough is out of reach. Unexpected items break, cars need repair, family members need assistance with yet another crisis. The burrow is looking really good! But if you are like me, you venture out of your burrow, you peek and see if the sun is shining or if the clouds are obscuring your view and you decide to carry on or hide. Some days I like to hide.
Yes, I love winter. I live in a place that really doesn't have winter, so I try to create it. I look at pictures of snow, I get out my photo albums of when I did live in snow. I keep the house cold so I can wear sweaters. I remember. More importantly I look up. I come out of my comfortable burrow where I can pretend everything is cozy and perfect. I remember that life isn't perfect, it is a chance every day to start fresh and to grow. I trust.
Psalm 121:1-2 I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. NLT
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