Richard said, "Look. They're pretty brave to be so close to us while we're out here."
I nodded, noticing that they were very close to us. They seemed a bit wary of us, but they weren't deterred from eating the fallen apples. The mama deer gave me the don't-think-of-messing-with-my-babies look. I understood and ran for my camera.
When I returned to the deck, they gave me a oh-it's-you look and continued munching. I took a few pictures, and I must've crossed the line because she silently moved them into the woods.
As we ate dinner, I thought about the deer--a mama and her two babies.
She guided them to a fairly safe place for them to graze upon nourishing, sweet apples. She also munched on the apples, but she was aware of their safety. She was content with me watching her, but she clearly drew the line when I started to take pictures. I couldn't help but admire her. She brought them out and maintained calm when they were a bit skiddish. They trusted her to protect them and ignored me because she continued to eat. She remained very aware of me. When I crossed the line, she simply walked toward the edge of the woods. They felt her move and followed her silently--without question.
I am reminded of the mama duck who attacked me when I was swimming in the lake this summer. I was swimming and unknowingly got between her and her ducklings, and she came up out of the water flapping her wings vehemently at me. I backed away fast. I understood.
It's a mother's instinct to protect our children. We know that we must also lead them out into fairly safe situations for them to learn to trust and to be cautious without being fearful. Balancing our protectiveness with their need to grow into independent individuals is a challenge. Sometimes we err on the side of caution, and other times we look back at a situation and wonder if we should've been a bit more cautious.
This mama deer is my inspiration to create a sense of safety while they're free to explore.
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