It just so happens that the beaver can wreck quite a bit of havoc in springtime since they are constantly trying to block the flow of every creek and riverstream in order to build themselves a cosy home. This habit of theirs is the cause of many a flooding even in our little neighbourhood since we have a creek running through our subdivision. It became such a big problem that the County - our municipality - is still sending their people almost daily to come and have a look at our creek and break down any barriers built by these little creatures overnight.
Let me state it clearly: I am a much bigger fan of the beaver than the ant. The ant may be busy but the beaver even busier. And the ants wreck my garden, every flowerbed and piece of lawn are invaded by them - in their thousands, I may add! They are very low in my esteem at the moment. They're even eating away at my house's foundation since our house is built almost entirely with wood - how I do miss a brick house now... Don't see much use for them either. Seriously, what precisely are they doing or contributing to society or nature in general? They don't make honey like bees, or eat mice, or catch mosquitos (another one of nature's nuisances and annoyances) or control the balance of certain other species.
But the beaver is a different story. They have the cutest little faces. And I do admire their swimming abilities - you have to give it to them: with a body built like that...Although I do not quite condone their constant chomping off of trees. They should be rationed in this regard but until we can find a way to communicate with them in a way that would be constructive, I can't see this happening soon. But on the other hand, how should they otherwise keep those pearly whites of theirs, sharp?
Which brings me back to me. In this house, I am being called "the beaver". And it's not because I have prominent front teeth or because of my agility in water (which I don't have, by the way)...It's because I am constantly busy - building a home, chomping off trees, rearranging the wood, swimming to shore, collecting some more, attending to the family - all proverbially speaking of course.
What is it about us that we feel we must constantly attend to something. Not to be caught for even a second doing just nothing, or reading a book, or taking an afternoon nap, or sit on the deck for some much needed sun. Oh no, we have to keep moving! This still needs cleaning and that can be re-organised to look even neater, and those need some replenishing and before you know it, it's time to start with supper, but then you need an ingredient or two for such supper, so it's in the car, buy it, speeding back and on you go!
Maybe it's because of the enormous guilt of not having to work - at a salaried job - that I feel I have to work twice as hard during the day to earn this privilege of staying home. Not that it was a choice of my own choosing - life just turned out that way for me. I do admit of feeling a bit envious when seeing people in the rush hour to and from work, dressed and stressed, and excelling in what they do, but I am also quite aware of the trappings it also brings. I decide every day whether I want to dress up or down, wear make-up or not, and yes, sometimes I clean the house in a Calvin Klein dress! I am working, ain't I? But the boss of me, is I!
I just need to stop feeling as if someone is watching over my shoulder and keeping tabs of everything I've done today. Of giving report at the end of the day - or everytime my husband calls during the day - of every detail I've accomplished and what will still be done before the weekend comes. Although, in this job, the work never really stops - no business hours here. Over weekends the wheel keeps turning, the beaver still runs, or swim, to keep head above the water. To keep the nest intact.
"Ledigheid is die duiwel se oorkussing" has way too much leverage over us. And then comes Proverbs 6 that promps this beaver-like behaviour of mine even more when it says: 6:4 Permit no sleep to your eyes 14or slumber to your eyelids. And further - 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; 17observe its ways and be wise! continuing with - 6:9 How long, you sluggard, will you lie there? When will you rise from your sleep? 206:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to relax, 21 6:11 and your poverty will come like a robber, 22 and your need like an armed man.
This weighs heavily on me, and my Calvinistic tendencies do not permit me either to put these thoughts on the back-burner, even for a little while. So I keep moving, fervently and sometimes annoyingly, ruining everyone else's peace and quiet. But I'm working on it - putting a task on hold here and there, but only until I drive past that creek again and see my namesake, the beaver, going at it at his usual pace...
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