Last night, when I thought I was leaving the hospital for the night, I stopped by a local pet store, and got a rat to bring home for the snake.
It was a one-eyed rat. The right eye was missing.
I got called back to the hospital. (see other post from early today).
Luckily the rat was in a carrier, and I snuck him into the call room to stay warm with me for the night. It was then I realized it was blind. There were granola bars, peanut butter globs, lettuce, apple and water. Yet it did not eat. Or drink. It just sat.
Through the night I heard it make sounds. Squeaks and grunts, as if trying to contact another rat. When I talked back to it, it calmed down. I was very thankful for its company. A call room is not pleasant. At least having something warm with me made my heart smile.
And also knowing that I had snuck in a rat to the hospital!
I meditated on the rat. Should I feed it to the snake to end its suffering? Should I give it to the OR clerk who keeps them for pets? Should I keep it? Here is what I learned:
a rat is pure love and perfection. Why? it is being what it is--rat.
a rat is humble and knows its purpose. this one is okay with this.
feeling sorry for the rat, wanting to love it and care for it told me more about me than about it. It does not waste time feeling sorry for itself.
a rat is in the moment now, and not worried about death. Death is always around the corner for a rat. It does not dwell on it.
I picked up that this one is ready to move on.
I am not.
I went out and bought another.
Snake ate that.
And the one-eyed rat with no name is in a large cage with fresh bedding, rat food, and water. (you always have to keep rat supplies at hand when you own a snake. sometimes they don't eat, and you need to keep the rat comfortable).
Will I feed one-eye to the snake? I don't know. That is for another day. Today we enjoy our presence.
Namaste,
Reiki Doc
