A little squirrel is spotted darting across College Avenue! Its slender body with light brown fur and a bushy tail moves almost as fast as the speed of light. A pedestrian with sharp vision notices it as she presses the big black button announcing “yellow lights are flashing” to all the crossing cars. This particular squirrel was in a hurry. It was going back and forth, left and right, looking for the best acorns to bring back to its family living on Main Hall Green. The pedestrian thought to herself, why would this mighty squirrel risk it all for acorns? Looking at the family of squirrels huddled together enjoying their feast, it was clear to the pedestrian that those acorns satisfied them like a mother’s most amazing home-cooked meal.
This was the absolute ideal for them. It could sustain them with sufficient energy for days until they once again braved the snow to find more food. Though everyone experiences the intensity of the cold, these winter months are especially brutal to our tiny friends. They’re able to survive because the fur on their bodies is soft, almost feather-like. They also stick together and work together as a group to stay warm by finding places to hide from the cold. Seeing this remarkable vision of nature made the pedestrian realize that humans survive this way too. Humans need comfort food, warmth and people to get through the hard days. With these three magic ingredients, both animals and humans can get through anything.