Changing "Helpless" to Hopeful: Can a Simple Change of Mind Change a Life?

On a quiet side street, I slowed my car to a stop as I waited for a mother and child - a mother squirrel and her youngster - to cross the street. The mother would run a few paces then stop. The young squirrel would race to catch up, then jump up on her back for a free ride. She wouldn't move again until it jumped off. And so this lesson in crossing a street took up almost five minutes. I felt lucky to have witnessed this hopeful act of parenting. She didn't try and act like super-mom and carry her child across. Instead, she exercised a higher skill (in my opinion) ... that of teaching by example. On that same street, there is a tree that is home to about 30 vultures. Each night they ride the air currents off the mountains, circle over my house, and descend into the streets at the edge of my town to nest in the trees for the night. In the morning they stretch out their wings, like laundry on a clothesline, and let them warm up before taking flight.nnThere were once 100 or more vultures in another tree on the same block - an ancient cottonwood - that was cut down by a developer because he wanted to build a home to sell on the land right where the tree stood. Overnight, the vultures lost their ancient home. They were homeless, but not helpless. They did what Nature teaches best, they adapted to their changed circumstance. No longer a community, they disbanded and went in search of new housing. Five in one tree. Twelve in another. Thirty in the communal tree on Sixth Street. All 100 have found new homes, perhaps some with a better view. Can their human counterparts, you and I, be as flexible? What circumstances would make us feel helpless? What change of mind-set would flip this around and make us hopeful? Who are our role models? How do we role model the change we want to achieve in this moment, in this day, over the next year? Can a simple change of mind change a life? Has it happened to you?nn nnIn response to this week's call for content "How Can We Help the Helpless?"