Are you a loner or do you like having someone around you all the time? I must say I?m a little of both. I enjoy people, or most people anyway but there are times when I just need to be left alone. For the past few weeks my husband has been at home. He?s trying out retirement. Unfortunately, for me he?s enjoying it. I am simply not use to having someone under foot 24/7. Normally he would be outside doing his thing but with the weather being so yucky he?s been in the house? with me? all day? all night.
It?s hard to get the creative juices flowing when someone is talking to you from the other room. ?Hey what?s for lunch? Do you want to play cards? What?s for supper?? Or, he?s standing over my shoulder reading every word I?m typing. Now don?t get me wrong I?m thankful for the old ball and chain, but give me a break. I NEED TO BE ALONE!
Most of you probably don?t know it but I?m a groundhog. Born February 2nd, 1959 on Groundhog Day. Lets talk about the groundhog for a few minutes. Groundhogs don?t run in packs like wolves or deer. They live in the ground in a hole mostly by themselves. Except for an occasional run in with the opposite sex the groundhog is by nature a loner. It?s main objective in life is to eat all they can in the spring, summer and fall so they will gain enough weight to hibernate all winter. That sounds sort of like me because I like to stay holed up on these long winter days, snuggled up to a good book or my computer, and Lord knows I do love to eat like the groundhog.
The fancy name for groundhog is woodchuck. The woodchuck belongs to the squirrel family. Groundhog Day originated in Germany and Great Britain. According to legend the groundhog or woodchuck awakens every year on February 2nd. He climbs up out of his hole, peeps his little flat head out, looks around and smells the air for danger, then crawls on out and stands up on his hind feet. If the sun is shining and he sees his shadow it scares him and he jumps back in the hole for another six weeks. That sounds like me too, many a morning I look in the mirror and feel like jumping back in bed for the day or six weeks. Now if it is cloudy and that old groundhog doesn?t see the freaky image of himself he knows that spring is just around the corner and he stays out of his hole and starts his search for food.
In reality we might not be able to predict the weather by whether or not I see my shadow on February 2nd, (which by the way I did) but there are some things in life that we can predict. I know that the sun will rise every morning and set in the west every evening. I know that babies will be born and all who breathe will some day pass on. I know that some will have more than enough to sustain them from day to day and others will wither in need. I know that there will be good people and bad people, believers and non-believers. Life is ever changing. Each day brings us closer to celebrating eternity.
So, while the hands of the future tick to and fro I will listen for the voice of my retired husband calling for me, and I will feel blessed that I have someone to pester me. I will be thankful that I am needed, and I will relish each moment of solitude I can find too. This old groundhog just needs a few quiet moments every day to collect her thoughts, ponder life, pen a few words and pray for patience.
Mark 1:35
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
