Today is the Day.

Squirrely surveying her new domain…and not yet realizing that the door to her cage is open.

“Today! Today is the day,” they both exclaim with excited glee.
“Today? Oh I don’t know,” I ponder. “It’s very windy.”
“It’s perfect,” they say, with no small amount of pleading in their bright little eyes. “Absolutely perfect.”
“But doesn’t it seem a little chilly?”
“Noooooo! We’re fine! Today is perfect,” they proclaim once again.

Perfect for whom? Well, truth be told, it would likely never be perfect for me. There would always be too much wind. Too much chill in the air. Not enough leaves providing shelter. Too many hawks sailing through our airspace. A chance of rain. Not enough hours of daylight left to allow me to watch over their first steps into this big world.

Tiny, sweet baby James Squirrel Jones.

No, there would never be a perfect day. Left up to my worrisome mind, there might always be something standing between these two little beings and their rightful place in nature. Wasn’t it only yesterday that they were no larger than my thumb and completely helpless?

But as I look at them with their alert faces, strong legs, fluffy tails, and sharply gripping paws that border on having the dexterity of hands, I see the truth.

The door is open…Squirrely Temple and James Squirrel Jones are free to go…or stay. Free to stay around a bit too.

“Ok, you’re right,” I sigh.
Today is the day.
Today is your day.