jump like frogs

… in training …

The other day a friend told me a story about his granddaughter. She’s 5 and she loves animals, nature and all things outdoors — the playground, the park, walking the dogs in the woods, learning about trees. In fact, she can identify more trees than I can!

A pond in the nearby Lea Valley Regional Park, no frogs in sight today

The girl, let’s call her Cassie, arrived at her grandfather’s house, greeted everyone and then as usual headed into the garden to visit the pond. She loves playing with frogs. Picking them up, stroking them, putting them back down, lining them up and urging them into frog races.

As my friend watched, Cassie began hopping behind a frog, and he asked ‘Cassie, do you like frogs?’ ‘Oh yes, I love frogs.’ ‘How would you like to be a frog?’ he asked. ‘Oh no, I don’t want to be a frog. But I’m in training to jump like one!’

And then we all laughed. Later though, I wondered and wanted to ask, ‘So Cassie, why don’t you want to be a frog?’

Interconnectedness

Leonardo, Percy, Leo and Albert, song by Tracey Curtis

My year of meats — book by Ruth Ozeki

What might have been — article reflecting on the world we’d have if humanity had nonviolent relationships with animals