I smiled when I spotted three deer foraging very close to a trail. They appeared young…perhaps less than a year old. Fortunately it was a wildlife refuge, so they were safe from harm.
I quietly watched the trio, not wanting to frighten them off. After all, this was their home and I was a visitor. Their movements were slow and graceful as they dined their way through a patch of plants.
This particular deer glanced up periodically and appeared to study me intently. Not in a fearful way, but in a curious manner. Was she as intrigued by me as I was by her?
In that moment I suspected yes, and I had a wondering. What do animals think of us?
Do they see us as intruders? Or, do they see us as fellow beings, part of their natural world? Perhaps it depends. After all, we’re two-legged creatures who are unpredictable…sometimes quiet and watchful, sometimes noisy and intrusive.
In that moment it seemed that this deer didn’t mind my clumsy but sincere attempts to blend into the landscape. And maybe she even appreciated the human company.
After the beautiful trio moved on, I had a thought…perhaps our connection to nature beings is stronger than we know.
It’s an intriguing idea…
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