She is in winter of her life

I saw a lone rabbit huddled in the backyard yesterday. It had been there for awhile because it wore a lacy dusting of snow as a shawl. I thought it was cute and hoped it hadn’t been feasting on any of my plants.
It must have been sending out silent invitations to all of its friends. When I woke up this morning the snow was covered with bunny prints. It looked like there had been a party for every rabbit in the city, if not the entire county. There wasn’t a single square foot of the yard that didn’t have at least one distinctive footprint. A light snow is falling now and filling in the evidence of the apparent overnight festivities.
Rabbits don’t hibernate during the winter. We don’t notice them because they tend to come out at dawn, while we are huddled under the covers, hoping for a few more hours of sleep and at dusk, when we are getting home from work and too busy to look for the furry creatures.
Rabbits are prey animals, food for almost any meat-eater that is bigger than it is. As a child, I thought that a meal featuring rabbit was the best meal in the world. Our original cat, Sneaky, shared my taste and kept the yard free of bunnies as long as she was alive. Our current cat, Gracie, stays in the house and monitors the wildlife from the warmth of the living room thus allowing our backyard to play host to a multitude of rabbits in a party mood.
How different this is than what I saw when I looked out the window a few weeks ago. Then, we were still in sunny and warm Texas. The view outside included a pair of horses, a cat stalking who knows what, a half-built playhouse, lots of toys and even more tall pine trees. There was not a bunny nor a trace of snow in sight.
The day-to-day routine was also different. Then, my day was centered around keeping small children healthy and reasonably happy. Now, I am back to arranging doctor’s appointments for my mom and praying that the roads won’t be icy when the designated day arrives.
Keeping my mom as reasonably healthy and happy as I can is a far harder task than doing the same for small children. In fact, it is almost impossible. A long, hard life has taken its toll on her. As soon as we get one problem under control, another one pops up. She relies on those around her to do all they can. It is never enough. She is convinced that things should get easier the older she gets. It is not to be.
I look out the window at all the footprints in the snow. I wonder how so many small animals can survive in such harsh conditions. The world is white. All the tasty vegetables and tender shoots are long gone. Spring is far, far away. Yet, there is abundant evidence that rabbits and other wildlife party in our yard on a regular basis.
I think about my mom. How has she survived so long? She has had many harsh winters and always manages to make it through. She has left her footprints on the hearts of those around her. We, her children, are who we are because of her.
She is in the winter of her life. As it can be for the rabbits, life is often hard. Like the rabbits, she is managing to hang on, one day at a time. Last fall I had my doubts that she would still be here. The rabbits probably wonder if winter will ever end. Luckily, the sun continues to come up every morning. For now, both the bunnies in my backyard and my mother are doing well. For now, that is good enough.

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