You’ll never guess what happened last night! I’d finished working in time to watch Emmerdale (sorry, but I love it), and was settled quietly on the sofa.
Suddenly, I heard the back door open and a tiny vole (or field mouse) shot across the lounge carpet in front of me! It was closely followed by our cat, Gloria, and Jon, who was apologising for not noticing she had the little creature in her mouth.
Having been dropped at my feet (thanks Glo), it scurried off behind the sofa, out of view from us all. We put Gloria outside and set about finding the little vole. We watched it BOMB around the walls of the living room at the speed of light, like it was on Formula One wheels, so there was no WAY we were going to catch it.
I thought back to when I lived in the Fens in Norfolk, where the occasional field mouse appearing in my cottage was a normal part of life. In those days, I’d put a raisin in a long poster tube and when the mouse scurried down the tube, I’d put the plastic end on it. Then I’d drop the mouse off in a field as soon as possible.
Well, last night, we couldn’t find anything like a poster tube, so I texted my nature expert best friend. He advised us to put some food in a bucket and a plank leading up to it, which we did.
For the next half hour we watched this little cutie tearing around the lounge until it eventually ran up the plank of wood (an old kitchen shelf). However, it didn’t jump into the bucket so I vaulted out of my seat and gave it a gentle nudge in. Then I put the cushion over the top of the bucket and we let him out in the garden (keeping the cat indoors for the rest of the evening).
Needless to say I missed Emmerdale but don’t worry, I watched it later on ITVX.
The moral of my story, and its link to Mindfulness is this:
Unexpected things happen and we can sometimes over-react, especially if we are faced with a sudden problem or challenge. We can create a mountain out of a mole hill and add far more drama than is necessary, because that’s what we human beings tend to do. A lot.
Fortunately, Jon and I are both quite calm people, who love all creatures great and small, so it was more of an adventure than a crisis for us.
Being mindful of the FACTS in a situation is SO helpful. There was a vole in the house. We needed to return it to the garden. We were given a plan and it worked. The cat was disappointed but hey, there are plenty more in the field.
If you find that something dramatic suddenly happens in your life, try not to make it into a problem or a drama (unless you really want to). Consider the facts and what you need to do about it. Then take the relevant steps mindfully and all will be well.
Love and joy,
Juliet. x