Day 5 in A Month of Gratitude, #AMOG. Today, I have decided to be #grateful for the monkeys, the troop of macaques that made another appearance this evening as I was cooking sausages and veggie stirfry, as one does when there are too many uncooked pork and rosemary sausages and vegetables in the fridge. 🤣
This is their second visit to my home, and I noticed that the babies had grown. I am assuming it is the same troop as the last time a couple of weeks ago. Lots of little ones, grown since their last visit, prancing about and looking rather adorable. And there in the midst of it all, is one of the mothers. Where was the grumpy alpha male? Checking out some other oasis, perhaps, with his various concubines.
Yes, my garden is a little oasis for them enroute to their home in the evening after a day of foraging around the estate. I notice that what they really seem to want is to stop in the shade of the trees above my pond, and hop about the ledge outside my bedroom for a few minutes. The outdoor kitchen is near the pond, and as per NParks instruction we have removed every food item so nothing tempts them. Today, however, they were drawn to the smells of sausages and veggies cooking, wafting up to the trees and calling out to them, and I looked up to see several monkeys eyeing me with a "May we stop for dinner?" look.
The dogs went ballistic, and the monkeys scampered up higher and I banged about with a few loud shoos as per NParks "How to Chase Monkeys Away 101", and that kept them above ground level, and at bay. Once all the cooking was done and everything was stashed away, the monkeys drifted off towards home. I think I am a pit stop for them but they have no notions of permanent residency. My back garden is a spot to hang out, cheerfully splash in the pond if no one notices, nibble a bit of food if possible, and run away gleefully.
Aren't we all pit stops, in some way, for others? Don't we want to be an oasis to whom the weary can come and find rest and lay down their burdens and drink waters of life, rediscover some joy, sit to a meal with us and feel loved and welcomed? I know I want to be that oasis to my friends, and I am grateful for the oases in my life. ❤
I thought about their first visit, and how alarmed I had been, and as indignant as the dogs at having our space invaded by 15-20 monkeys of varying sizes, glaring and baring fangs as they protected their young from overly dramatic me... and today I decided not to give in to irrational fears but to play it cool, give the dogs a few minutes to assert themselves, and to clear up quickly and ignore the monkeys. As soon as I went away, they did too. Perhaps I had been prolonging their pit stop with near histrionics and unnecessary drama while they just sat there, looking sage like and probably thinking, "Not sure what drama school she went to but she's not very convincing, is she?" 🤣
Part of #mentalhealthawareness involves recognising our irrational fears, examining our thought processes and affecting change in our behaviour. I am grateful for the monkeys' appearance which gave me a chance to ask myself just how fearful I needed to be, to examine why they were there, to enjoy the little babies and their frolics, and to stand back and allow them to move along quietly. They will return, I am sure of it, and I shall be watchful but unafraid, prepared but unperturbed, civilised but not too friendly. I remain grateful, even for the monkeys. Changing my attitude towards them entirely, to seeing my garden as a pit stop and an oasis for weary travellers, even as I hope to be to the folks in my life. 🙏❤
#AMOG #AMonthOfGratitude #GratitudeIsAnAttitude #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #GratefulForMacaques #IrrationalFears #ConquerFear #BeAnOasis #EverybodyNeedsAPitStop #PreparedButUnperturbed #SausageWithVeggiesStirfryIsYummy #IMadeItThroughDayFive
Thanks for reading,
Pav
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