A lesson from squirrels
Do you enjoy watching animals? You sure can learn a lot about life that way! Animals have something called “instincts.” That’s Nature’s way of telling them what they need to do to survive. Take, for example, the squirrel. You’ve probably seen lots of squirrels in your neighborhood, or maybe in the park. Did you know that squirrels are very hard workers, and that they plan for the future? They don’t work all the time, though. They also set aside some time for play.
Squirrels are great at balancing. Sure, they can balance on a thin tree branch and on power lines, but they’re also good at another kind of balancing – balancing their time. This means that they don’t spend all their hours on just one activity.
In the summer and fall, there are plenty of seeds and nuts for the squirrels to eat. They spend much of their time scurrying around on the ground or searching the trees for food. They eat what they need, then they store the extras for winter, when food is harder to find. Perhaps you’ve seen a squirrel burying or hiding an acorn. The little creature is saving that nut for the future, in the same way your mom or dad stores food in your pantry or freezer. The ground keeps the nuts and seeds safe until the squirrel needs it. Once cold weather sets in and the nuts and seeds from trees and plants are gone, the squirrels return to their hiding places and retrieve a meal.
Once squirrels have enough food stored for the winter, it’s time for fun. Not only do squirrels work hard; they also play hard. You might have seen them chasing each other in the trees, leaping from limb to limb and chattering with each other. They enjoy life! Squirrels are social animals. That means that they enjoy the company of their furry friends and family members, just as most people do.
Squirrels are well rounded animals. In other words, they balance their time between work and play. Humans should take lessons from squirrels and do the same thing. Working all the time isn’t good, and spending all your time playing isn’t good, either. Everyone needs to find a good balance between work and play, just like the squirrels do.
