Close to midnight when the darkness is darkest, I was sleeping next to Leo, my 3 year-old grandson. He woke up startled on his first night staying with us last week. “Mamère, what’s that?” he asked.
“That’s an owl. Can you hear it? Who, who, who!”
“Is it in the house?”
“No, no, it’s across the bayou way up high in the trees.”
Whoooooooooo!
“Scary.”
“Don’t worry, I’m here. The owl is far away.”
“Far away? Outside? In the trees?”
We talked for a while about owls, how they live in trees, hunt at night, call to their friends. The questions went on and on until I sleepily said, “It’s time to be quiet now and go back to sleep.”
I turned on the sound machine and the ocean waves calmed us both back to sleep. But Leo talked about the owl for days. Who knew that his 3 year-old brain would be so curious and so afraid of owls?
Our fears, our worries, especially in the darkness of the night are unreasonable. We know this, but nevertheless, the threat feels real.
How do you listen to the owls?
My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.
Exodus 33:14
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Reflections on the Teche 