The Circle of Life

We held an abbreviated funeral today for a teensy resident on our property, whose death remains a mystery.

I found him under the dried up remains of last year's asparagus fronds. 

At first I thought he was alive and hiding, but quickly realized that he was in fact no longer living. 

I called the kids to come and look.

It is so rare that you get to see a furtive critter like this up close. 

His wee little paws, delicate whiskers and silky fur.  His funny ears and smooth tail. 

He looks like he is sleeping.

I had thought the kids would be interested in looking at him (from a sciencey-kind of stand point) but Aidan just looked sad and Erica slapped her hands over her eyes.

So much for science.

So I asked them if they would like to bury him. 

Aidan suggested we choose a place where he wouldn't get dug up again and seemed concerned that he should also not be mown-over. Erica found a rock and inscribed the letters RIP.

They're nothing if not tender-hearted.

We said a few words~ like how cute he was and that we were

sad he had died. 

Then we placed him in the small hole and covered him over with dirt.

Erica placed her grave marker on top of the bare earth and that was that.

We went back into the garden and continued our clean-up and planting.

I am still puzzling over the mystery of his death. 

A tiny messenger~ giving pause to my day.

Reminding me~ do not take this life for granted.