It’s been a month now, and the mouse is still here – as I type it’s scurrying around in the ceiling above my head. (Yes, The Rat has been demoted to a mouse based on the assessment of Bill the Roofer. Plus it’s easier to picture it as one of the cute mice that helped Cinderella get ready for the ball than a nasty, dirty rat.)
Because it spends most of its time above my bedroom, I’m now sleeping in the living room. Each day I listen for the rustle of its morning romp – is it still here? My new hobby is plugging holes in my house that might be providing access. I creep out after dark, when I think it’s out of the house, and patch up places it might be using to enter. Last night I was out at 11:30, squirting foam into yet another fissure in my 1920′s home.
In the first couple of weeks the mouse conquered me by simply existing – I felt helpless, powerless. The sanctity of my home had been invaded – my cozy house was no longer my refuge. Why clean? I’d ask myself. There’s a rodent in my house.
But eventually the realization crept in that this victim wasn’t who I want to be. I want to be someone who can cope when things are out of whack, who can find The Easy Place, even when I’m uncomfortable. And, while I’m still not lovin’ the mouse, and I still cringe when I hear it scamper around, I’m learning to take it in stride.
The mouse has become part of my life, and, grudgingly, I’m adjusting. It’s kind of like having a giant pimple on the end of your nose – it’s awful, you hate it, but you still have to go on with your life. And, of course, like every problem, it brings a gift. The mouse is helping me practice the kind of peacefulness that doesn’t require perfection, a peacefulness that can prevail even when accompanied by the patter of little feet.
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Wonderful! “Practice the kind of peacefulness that doesn’t require perfection” I will remember that thought as it is a good one to incorporate into one’s life. Thanks.
It’s so difficult when we are forced to deal with something that really pushes our buttons, but inspiring when we learn something from it.
I like the little symbols that come up next to our comments. Cute :)
I agree with “De”. A rare Gem to be treasured! Thanks for sharing.