Nancy's Notes
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Small Miracles
By Nancy Burnett
Small miracles occur when least expected. My daughter’s family lives at the end of a cul-de-sac in the middle of Rocky River, Ohio. A narrow path with stepping stones and bordered by a row of tall, overhanging forsythia providing privacy, and a fence, runs along the side of their garage to the back yard.
Early on a Friday morning, my daughter and grandson opened their garage door to begin carrying chairs and party supplies along the path to the backyard to begin setting up for the big about-to-be nine-year old’s birthday party when they were confronted with a deer giving birth to her fawn. They backed up immediately to a safe distance and to provide privacy as she gave birth and then began cleaning up her new infant.
They watched in awe. The mother continued her after birth ritual, then got up and sauntered off through a neighbor’s yard leaving her tiny infant nestled into a nest of ivy along their fence just steps away from the pathway.
With eight loud birthday boy celebrants due to arrive later in the day, they made sure the path was blocked for the birthday boys, then quietly peeked to see the new arrival. Party supplies were re-routed to the other side of the house. Throughout the day we quietly peeked to see the new arrival hoping that mommy deer would return to the cries of her newborn, but knowing we could not touch or provide comfort to the baby. We watched as baby began to move and then to tentatively try to stand on wobbly legs only to collapse and curl up again in her nest.
(The party took place as planned away from the newborn.)
The mother returns at night to feed and care for the baby but is gone when we go out in the morning. She has moved the baby to the backyard along the house where a new nest cradles her beside the hum of the air conditioning unit.
As the deadline for submission of this article has approached, I can only assure you that after three days, baby seems to be thriving and even has ventured out into the yard a bit. Mama returns at night and soon will take her baby with her to a new location.
It has been beautiful to watch the miracle of nature unfold in the most unexpected time and place - and to know that soon mama and baby will join the other neighborhood deer who arrive nightly to treat my son-in-law’s garden and my daughter’s flower beds as their own personal smorgasbord.
We will forever remember this birthday party date with fondness and love for all of nature.
The beautiful picture was taken by Ben, the birthday boy, very shortly after the birth.
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