Don't Forget to Look Out for the Squirrels

A few weeks ago while riding home from the grocery store at a speed of about 35mph, a squirrel darted out in front of me. I thought nothing of it at first because it’s a regular occurrence. Squirrels are so fast that I never considered that I would actually hit one at the speed I was going. However, this time was different. The squirrel never made it to the median. I looked through my rearview mirror and there he was—road kill. It was the first time I’d ever hit or ran over anything (well anything that was alive). I felt really bad. Sure, some would say “it was just a squirrel”, but it was a preventable accident. I could have slowed down or stopped until the squirrel had safely made it across the street, but I didn’t think I had to. Had it been a dog or a duck, I would have slowed down. But, I just assumed the squirrel would make it across. They always do. There’s even a “Geico” commercial that shows a squirrel make it across a busy street in the nick of time.

This morning, while riding on the highway, I saw a dead raccoon that had obviously met the same fate as the squirrel and for whatever reason, I thought about the incident again. I thought to myself—if everything happens for a reason, I wonder why I hit that squirrel. Here’s what came to me:

In life there are lots of people who need help. Their shortcomings, obstacles, and dilemmas are evident. We all know people who need help and hopefully, we respond and offer our support and/or assistance in whatever manner we can. We check on our friends and relatives who are faced with struggles to make sure that they are okay, and remind them regularly that we are there to help if needed. These people are our “Dogs” and “Ducks”. We know we need to watch out for them, look after them, and make sure that they are alright. We understand their vulnerabilities and the role we may have to play in making their lives manageable.

On the other hand, we all know people that seem to have it all together. These are the friends and relatives that have never asked for help, don’t appear to have any problems and couldn’t possibly benefit from any help that you could offer. After all, these people seem to be doing just as good, if not better, than you are. These people don’t seem to “need” anything. In fact, they are always doing or helping others. These people are our “Squirrels”. Remember what happened to that squirrel that decided to cross in front of me? Yep, I “assumed” that squirrel could get across the street. I was wrong.

I challenge each of you to look out for the “Squirrels” in your life. These people are movers and shakers; they are always busy, busy, busy. They think that they can do anything and everything. They may feel invincible but they aren’t. Check on them. Offer to help them with a task or invite them over for dinner or out for drinks. Call just to let them know that you care. Remind them to slow down and take a break. Oh,…and if you’re the squirrel, it’s better to take your time and carefully chart out your course of action, than to dart towards your goal without regarding the obstacles and dangers in front of you. Don't get so wrapped up in trying to do so much that you end up killing yourself. Of course, there are challenges that must be overcome in order to be successful, but please...slow down.