May 6, 2020 We’re waging war at our home in Moira. It’s the battle with Bambi. Our property is bordered by woods on two sides. It’s not uncommon to see deer, rabbits, skunks and other woodland animals crossing through our backyard and/or picking through our compost pile for scraps. While we enjoy watching the wildlife, when the deer ate the tops of my raspberry bushes last year, it was act of aggression that couldn’t go unanswered. This year, finding ourselves with a lot of time at home, my husband and I decided to build a defensive perimeter – ok, it’s really a cheap seven-foot tall net – to keep the deer out of my berries. We decided to increase the size of the enclosure to accommodate a garden, something we’ve said we wanted in the past, but the deer/wildlife prevented us from pursuing. Adam and I spent Saturday afternoon hammering posts into the ground, laying down weed fabric on the recently-rototilled soil (I’m a lazy gardener; I don’t want to spend all summer weeding), affixing netting to the posts and the ground, and tying ribbons to the netting to make it visible to the deer. Working on the garden after editing most of the content of this paper, I had St. Joseph on my mind. I was reflecting on how blessed I am to have a husband who emulates this model spouse and father. Adam is my constant companion and partner. Even in simple ways, he’s my protector (I couldn’t tell you how many times he climbed a ladder or tied the ribbons really low to the ground to save me and my junky hips the repetitive up and down movements). For both me and Jake, our son, Adam is a provider and compassionate caregiver. His consistency, fidelity and even temper makes him the pillar of our family, much like St. Joseph is the pillar of families. Adam makes me want to be a better, holier people, and he helps me to do that. There’s no one with whom I’d rather go into battle. Even if we’re just waging war with Bambi. |
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