Connecting With Nature

My Connection with a Gray Fox

                                                                                                         Gray-Fox-1-scaled.jpeg (2000×1332)

I am a nature person, though I'm not a fanatic. I feel rejuvenated each and every day that I take a long morning walk to enjoy all the blessings that God places in my path. I like to feel that I have a rich sense of living in the 'real' world rather than the 'material' world.

The morning that I lost Daddy, I went out to pick up the morning paper in the dark. When I looked up, there was a meteor shower. The day I lost my brother I kept hearing the raspy screech of the red tail hawk. I will always associate that with my brother. The dove cooing reminds me of Mother. Before she passed, I called her every week, and she often sat in her backyard to visit with me on the phone. Her yard was filled with mourning doves, and they were always cooing in the background. This will be part of my memory of her. My husband's dad was always called Robin (his name was Robert) by his wife. The last time we saw him was just a few weeks before he passed. We purchased him a robin beanie baby, and the first time we ever visited his grave, a robin was perched on his headstone.

Recently, there have been challenges for me as my sister is slipping away from the bonds of reality. I was called in by friends to help and upon my return. I have pondered the situation and where I fit into the picture, as I was told a couple of years ago that I would have no say into the decisions made for her. So upon my return home, there has been a gray fox in my backyard consistently for 4 days.

Is this a sign for me? As I grope for answers, I researched the traits of a gray fox. https://allthingsfoxes.com/fox-symbolism

The Gray Fox Symbolizes:

                                                            https://allthingsfoxes.com/fox-symbolism/ 

cleverness, slyness, keenness, trickster (using your humor), wisdom & guidance, adaptability, humor

They are a sign that you need to look closer at something in your life, The Indians had totem animals. They served as guidance in times of need. If the fox chooses you, you will know it. While most fables show the fox as a villain, they were seen as a guide to wisdom, with advice and powerful messages. If they cross your path, there is both good and bad omens.

The Indians believed that if you were in ill-conceived situation, a fox appearing to you symbolized there was trouble a foot, serving as a warning to adapt to your discoveries and see things with clarity before moving forward. Because a fox has large ears, one must listen to what is being said or tune into what's NOT said.

So What Does Fox Say?

 https://whatismyspiritanimal.com/spirit-totem-power-animal-meanings/mammals/fox-symbolism-meaning/

The fox is a diversified creature in folktales that seem to slip into problem solving situations using their keen mental faculties to navigate tricky situations. The fox is often depicted as a con artist, but Aesop’s stories portray the fox as a teacher who shows humans how to overcome the fear of the unknown. Even with Fox’s negative attributes, the symbolic meaning of his behaviors has a positive purpose. Fox can teach you about the art of concealment-something you can benefit from when you’re feeling overexposed. The creature shares lessons about observation and attuning to your environment.

It is a sign of decision and change. You must use wisdom to find peace with your actions. The gray fox specifically symbolizes neutrality. Maybe this fox implies that I am having difficulty separating fact from fiction or that the truth of a situation falls somewhere in the middle. It may be a sign that I should stay somewhere in the middle. The fox symbolizes agile thinkers who are not overly social but loyal beyond compare. They do not like confrontation.

Okay…this pretty much sums me up!

Moving forward I must rely on my deep intuition where I have always found answers. Yet for me, it takes time to resolve things in my mind. Mother always told me that good things come my way because I don’t initially overreact. I guess that is the part of being elusive and mysterious. I hang between what is real and what is my perspective. Am I right or am I wrong? Once I find clarity, I must be able to stand my ground. (which I find complicated) Much like the trickster fox, I can outwit these complicated emotions if I find my sense of harmony and balance.

Coincidence...or meaning? I think that nature reveals to us a direction, a path for understanding where we fit into this beautiful world that God created. He wants us to find strength and beauty in our daily lives. I believe that people find strength when they associate with something that reoccurs in nature after a deep sense of loss.