I bent down to pick up a blue pillow off the floor to put behind my back as I watched the news and ate my breakfast. There was something on the pillow. My brain chatter went like this – What is it on top of the pillow? It looks like a mouse! It looks like a toy mouse that my cats play with. Is it real or is it a toy? I think it’s real! What is a mouse doing in my house? Is it alive or dead? It looks dead. Oh my gosh, how sad!
I slowly picked up the pillow. Not knowing for certain if it was alive or dead, I was not going to throw it in the trash. Something told me to take it outside and place it in the soft grass by the pool, in the warm sunlight. It moved! It was alive! I gently tilted the pillow so that it fell onto the grass. I’m going to say it was a girl. She righted herself quickly and then did not move a muscle. She was terrified. I spoke to her quietly. I left her there and went back into the house feeling sad but hopeful that she might survive. I was pretty certain that earlier one of my cats probably had her in its mouth.
After about 15 minutes another thought popped into my head – she needs food! Yes, but what? I looked it up on the internet: grains, seeds, fruit, none of which did I have readily available in my kitchen. Cheese! I did have cheese! I broke off several tiny pieces and took them outside . She jumped as I slowly dropped them next to her. She picked one up in her mouth and then dropped it when more fell around her. I looked at her back. It was so little and furry and she looked so soft. I lightly petted her. She cringed. I could see her heart beating, like the wings of a humming bird. My heart ached. I felt like God as my huge body hunched over her tiny one. I looked down and my heart filled with love, for her and for all of God’s creatures.
I went back into the house feeling very emotional. I had to leave soon for the barn. When I got back, I went outside to see if she was still there. She was gone. The cheese pieces were gone. My first thought was that a stray cat came and grabbed her, eating the cheese as well. That was not a pleasant thought at all. I then decided that she had eaten the cheese, regained her strength and courage then left, looking out for other mice to be with. Or maybe she was with God.
This silly little mouse really captured my heart. I don’t think I will ever forget her.