Daring To Be Wild

DARING TO BE WILD (illustration using India ink…love India ink)

My son and I were walking our doggies in our neighborhood, when my son pointed to an oak tree ahead of us and said, “Mom, when you get to that oak, stop for a bit and listen.”

When I got to the tree, I stopped and listened. I heard nothing unusual.
“You don’t hear it?” he asked.
“Hear what? Should I be listening for a bird sound or what?”
“Close your eyes and listen again.”

I closed my eyes, and I heard some faint rustle, “An animal is stuck up there, I think. A possum.” I stood on tiptoe and tried to peer into the dense branches.
“No,” he said.
“What is it, tell me, tell me ohhh please tell me”
“Hundreds and hundreds of bees,” he said, his arms spread out like some mystic.

I ran away from that spot and yelled from afar. “Hundreds of bees in that tree, and you ask me to stop there and listen? What if I had gotten stung hundreds of times?”
“See, Mom, that’s it, it’s this constant fear in you that prevents you from exploring new things.”

This year, I’m hoping to do some wild things…starting with visiting my friends.

-Anu Jayanth