The Skunk and the Apple Tree

We don’t approach a skunk with anger. We don’t ask a skunk to change. We don’t become angry with a skunk for being a skunk. And we don’t ask him why he is a skunk. And yet, in our daily lives, these are the attitudes we so often use.

I once came upon a skunk under my apple tree as I walked. He was feeding on the apples that had fallen to the ground. By the time I noticed, I was very near him. He neither raised his head nor stopped his busy activity to pay me any mind. I smiled because I found him curious and I continued on my way, content to have him there.

There are as many stories as there are people. As many reactions to a situation as there are minutes in our lives. We have within us the ability to make choices, to respond to a situation in a way that brings us peace and nourishes our inner world. This also nourishes the world around us.

If you began your story with-- “I came upon a skunk under my apple tree…”-- how would your story go?