saw a squirrel hit by a car and feel so awful :(

[moondiamond]

Hello everyone,

I posted here after the loss of my pets in the past, and found solace in the community and support here.
Today I am writing here not because of the loss of one of my own pets, but a situation I just found myself witnessing and am feeling very saddened and frustrated by it.

I was driving home when a little squirrel ran onto the street from the grass in right front of my car. I slammed on the breaks (no one was behind me) and in doing so, was able to slow down enough for the little guy to stop under my car and actually avoid being hit by it, but unfortunately, another car was in the oncoming lane, and the squirrel ran straight into it's path. I am disturbed and so devastated because I looked in my side view mirror and saw him get hit and killed by the oncoming car :(
I love animals so much and do everything in my power to watch closely for them while driving to of course and avoid hitting them.
I am so upset by the mental image I have of the little squirrel being hit.  I drove back a little while later to see if maybe he was just stunned and able to get up and run away.
Sadly, his tiny little body was still on the road.  I was crying so hard at this point, and didn't feel I had the strength to take him off the road but now I feel like I should have.

I feel so upset by this whole situation.  I keep thinking that if I had've been able to stop sooner, or if I hadn't have been driving on the road at this time, then the squirrel wouldn't have been hit.  Even though it wasn't my car that made the impact that killed him, I feel like it's my fault.  I wish I could have stopped sooner and then the other driver may have had a chance to slow down too, and let the squirrel pass safely :( He even had a little nut in his mouth that maybe he was taking to his family, or hiding for the winter.  The whole mental image I have of what happened is upsetting me so deeply. I feel so heartbroken and frustrated.

I know there's nothing that can be done now, except always continue to drive safely and watch for animals, but I really wanted to get this off my chest.

Thanks for listening and giving me somewhere to share my feelings about this situation :(

Laura

 

[kayc]

I went outside the other day and my cat had killed a squirrel and wanted to bring it into the house.  Getting run over by a car was over and done with quickly, but my cat toying with this squirrel, that will stay with me.  Unfortunately, wild animals suffer way worse deaths than we'd want to know, every day.  I guess that's one reason I don't oppose hunting...it's quick and more humane than being victim to a predator.  

I'm sorry you witnessed this...sorry I witnessed the other, it's hard.  I can assure you, it was in no way your fault.  The squirrels are way cute, but also wild animals.  They used to pick green cones and throw them at me and my dog's head when we went to his pen, from 50' up a tree, and it hurt!  I swear they did it for pure pleasure and laughed at us.  Wild animals aren't always bambis, I live out in the country and I think I've seen it all.  It's always sad to see life end, no matter who it is, we see it as precious and know we can't create it, so we value it. 

 

[Maylissa]

Laura, bless your heart for caring so much❣️ I'm so sorry you had to witness that poor squirrel's death, and that it affected you so strongly. Yet I'm also so glad you're one of those people who cares that deeply about wildlife too. I've similarly reacted, and cried, over many wild beings' deaths &/or suffering, throughout my whole life. So I get it, I really do.

We want to save them all. And when we can't, even if it's not our direct fault -- as this squirrel's passing wasn't yours -- that longing creates huge compassion, and some amount of (inappropriate) guilt in us, as if we somehow could have/should have been able to keep them safe, alive and well, to enjoy a good, long and blessed life. It's even worse when in one moment you think you've saved them, and the next moment something else out of your control happens that suddenly robs you of that relief and joy, and robs them of the life you were so happy to help with! It's a real shock to the system.

I've taken many birds who died one way or another over to the wild-growth area across from our house (as I had to do again just 2 days ago)...to say a prayer for them, cover them with grasses (and flower heads when available), to show due respect for their lives. On the roads and highways, if I cannot stop, or the driver won't, I always say a specific prayer whenever I see anyone who's been hit and died there. Respectful burial or not, they get that at least. And on occasion we've seen even grislier things happen right in our yard. It never fails to be highly upsetting to me, but it's the least I can do for their precious souls. I've also sometimes seen drivers of cars deliberately try to run over animals, including neighbourhood cats allowed to roam unattended. (those people receive something else entirely from me...if they can even hear me as they speed away from their dastardly attempts)

So even though you were too upset at the time to move that squirrel's body out of the road, you could still say a heartfelt prayer for him/her. It WILL reach and benefit him/her, even now, and here's why: Since everyone and everything is in truth, and at core, comprised of energy, light (photons) and coherent "information," and those only change form, your compassion too is a form of all that, and can be directed to whomever or whatever you wish. The prayer I use is this:

"Angels, please make sure that dear (insert name of animal)'s soul got to/gets to the Light, the Love, and healing from all trauma, in all times and dimensions. And please send them my love as well. And so it is."

In like fashion, I'm sending you the energy of sincere gratitude, and compassion for your hurt, simply for caring so deeply about another being's life. The world needs more people like you. ❤️