Dignity

One of the many things we cannot control in life is how we appear to others. And most of us strive for the appearance of dignity. Who knew the weather would rob me of mine?

I can't believe it! I fell down! I have twice as many legs as my Person and she stayed upright and I went kersplat! One minute I was bravely leaping from frozen snow bank to frozen snow bank and the next I landed on what I thought would be bare pavement. But my trusty white feet flew in all directions and I hit the ice chin first. There was a certain amount of unsympathetic giggling from the Parka that is my Person, and then she rethought her response and patted my head. Damage done! See if I pat her head next time she topples on the ice.

We both walked carefully after that. The river was murmuring gently to the ice regrowing along the banks, and the robins were making gentle 'knock-knock" calls from the trees and a red-tailed hawk perched high above the water. I saw my favorite white squirrel scampering in the distance and soon I forgot about my moment of ungainliness. My lesson for today: it doesn't matter if you fall so long as you keep going afterwards.