No matter how well we know a place, or a person, or a book, they can still surprise us. This week, I glanced out the window to find a deer in the yard – not surprising at all, and in fact a little annoying, as I’d just noticed the tender leaves of a new tree I’d planted had been nibbled away.

But then, just behind the mama deer, a fawn! Despite many years of living in deer country and a lifelong love of Bambi, I’ve never seen a baby deer in real life. The fawn looked tentative on its impossibly thin legs, but then suddenly she took off, jumping and twisting and sprinting back and forth. It reminded me of my little niece, who sometimes looks up and me and says, Auntie Kath, let’s RUN!  And then whoosh, she is off like the wind.

Dear ones, may we welcome hungry visitors.

May we see old things in a new light.

May we take inspiration from this baby deer, who can’t help but leap.

Deer a-leaping video