Lessons From a Squirrel
/By Laura Adams — Last Updated: October 9, 2025
One of my goals since having my son has included taking more walks around our neighborhood without headphones on or any other distraction that might pull me away from life itself. With all my senses in the here and now, I want to be mindful as Miles points to something in nature and yells, “Dat!”, which is his way of asking what it is he is witnessing.
“Dat!” It’s a car, Miles.
“Dat!” It’s a garbage truck, Miles.
“Dat!” It’s an oak tree, Miles. How extraordinary.
Everything excites him on our adventures, and, in turn, everything has come to excite me again. My adult disillusionment is shedding. For that, I am grateful. The world has been a wary place as of late, hasn’t it?
Squirrels are fascinating creatures in the late summer, early autumn months.
Recently, there’s been a lot of “dats” as we watch the squirrels scurry ahead of us across the street or in the yard, often with acorns in their little grasps. They are on a mission, preparing for the winter months ahead, busying themselves with what they will need to survive and flourish. I often wonder, do they understand how important their monotonous task is?
To honor their mission, Miles and I observe.
We watch them dig holes in the earth.
We watch them bury their goodies.
We watch them prepare for their eventual harvest from this collecting of acorns. These daily actions mean they will have full bellies during the cold winter months.
Dat, I whisper to myself when I see one such squirrel working away on our walk this morning, is a lesson in sowing what you want to reap, Laura.
Right now, in October, Miles and I are witness to such an important part of the squirrels’ journeys. Watching these little creatures work so hard in such small ways reminds me of all the miniscule steps humans take to progress toward our dreams, our goals, our transformations, or our mere survival, at times.
Our sowing may include habits like drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, moving the body, consciously breathing, checking in on friends, making to-do lists, sitting with our emotions (and allowing them to pass), and practicing tirelessly what we’d like to master. Each act is an acorn we collect, slowly, surely, and with a hope that as we plant these things into our own groundwork for existing, they will flourish into sustaining harvests. Sowing is a practice in patience and reaping is a gift I hope we all enjoy in the areas of our lives that mean the most to us. As the squirrel teaches us:
It takes time.
It takes effort.
It takes persistence.
But, it’s worth it.
In fact, very often it seems, the harvest is more than we can even imagine at first, like the squirrel who cannot believe their simple mission of collecting an acorn, and burying it, will lead to a brand-new tree bursting upward from the ground—deeply rooted and lasting.
Miles points to a pair of squirrels running on the trunk of an oak tree to our left, and gleefully squeals, “Dat!”
It’s hard for me to not get teary-eyed when I answer, “Dat, sweet boy, are two little creatures enjoying a work-in-progress legacy.”
Just like I am enjoying with my sweet son. In real time.
The harvest remains, in my case, an appreciation in remembering every acorn I’ve collected and buried to get to this moment of complete nourishment as a mom.
***
What harvest are you enjoying this autumn season? With friends? With your career? With your retirement? With your parenting? With your self-care?
May it reflect, perfectly, every acorn you have painstakingly sown with a trust and a faith that anything is possible.
You are dat amazing.
Practice with Laura
Laura is a yoga teacher as well as a freelance writer. Laura received her 200- and 500-hour yoga teacher trainings from Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center. She teaches several classes a week in a variety of formats at Green Lotus. Her own practice began in 2006 as a way to connect breath to body after dealing with a stress-borne illness.
