Chapter 6: Life's lesson from a Squirrel
Amidst nature's whispers, a young boy discovers profound wisdom in the playful yet purposeful actions of a wise squirrel.
The boy's eyes widened in shock as a squirrel plummeted from a tall oak tree. He gasped and rushed forward, fearing for the tiny creature, his heart racing.
Did it hurt? Did it break?
Such a fall, a heart could shake.
A gentle soul, from so high,
Yet, it fell, oh, my!
Before the boy could reach it, the squirrel sprang to its feet, shook off the dust, and straightened its bushy tail. It turned to face the boy, its eyes sharp with intelligence. "What are you staring at?" it inquired.
I've fallen and risen anew,
It's just a thing that we do.
Life's tumbles, they come and go,
With each fall, more I grow.
The boy did not understand what the squirrel said, the boy watched in awe as the squirrel effortlessly leapt onto a nearby rock, then began to have fun with another squirrel. Their playfulness seemed in sharp contrast to the earlier mishap. He couldn't help but ask:
You fell and seemed so frail,
Yet, you're now playful without fail.
Aren't you hurt, or feeling blue?
How did joy come back to you?
The squirrel paused, its tiny face reflecting wisdom beyond its years. Everything fell quiet, as if waiting for the profound response it was about to share.
Life is both work and play,
Balancing both, we sway.
We get ready for tough, cold days,
Yet still find joy in simple ways.
The boy's eyes sparkled with understanding, yet curiosity lingered. The squirrel's efforts seemed both fun and purposeful, a balance that puzzled him.
Such labor, day and night,
Collecting with all your might.
Isn't life tough, with so much to bear?
Doesn't it feel too much to wear?
The surroundings felt quiet as the boy posed his question. The breeze seemed to wait in anticipation, rustling the leaves in a gentle hush. The squirrel squeaks,
For every acorn we hide away,
we also dance, leap, and play.
Remember, boy, as you go,
Life's about both toil and glow.Be prepared, face every tide,
But in joy, always reside.
Challenges come, they're part of the rite,
Yet, never let go of your inner light.For winter's cold and its strife,
We gather acorns, to sustain life.
Sometimes we forget, where they're set,
Yet, from them, new trees we get.
The boy watched as the squirrel climbed up the tree, disappearing into the canopy. The world seemed to pause, as if in a dream. The boy pondered the squirrel's words, the wisdom they held, and the simple truths they revealed.
As he walked home, the sun setting behind him, he felt a sense of peace and understanding. The boy knew that, like the squirrel, he too must gather acorns, prepare for winter, and never lose sight of the joy that life could bring.
And so, the boy went on his way, with a newfound appreciation for the balance of life, the wisdom of the squirrel, and the simple truths that can be found in the most unexpected places.
This is a part of the book that I am writing for my son, whose name is Ishaan Inlakesh. Inlakesh means I am you, You are me, in mayan language, A beautiful philosophy. I named him to remember that I should never forget that we are all one and the same, something that I personally experienced one day.
The name of the book is I am you, You are me.
I will add a chapter whenever I feel that I have learnt a life lesson. I started writing around 2022, I started to go through a quarter life crisis, I went through some of the toughest phases.
My attempt is to provide a life’s lessons that highly philosophical in a format that is easily consumable when he grow to a point where he can start reading, and has few years to take those lessons into his heart to navigate the world.
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Backstory
One day, I saw a small squirrel fell down from a very high tree, I thought it’s probably dead by now, the tree was at least more than 3 story building. But, it got up, just like that climbed the tree again.
I started researching how nothing happened to the squirrel after falling from such a height. Then, I went down the rabbit hole and discovered that squirrels store acorns and seeds in random places, often forgetting where they’ve hidden them. This forgetfulness is actually beneficial because the seeds they forget about eventually sprout and grow into new trees, leading to the development of entire oak forests. Research has shown that squirrels, through their scatter-hoarding behavior, play a critical role in forest regeneration, helping to spread and grow new trees across vast areas.
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