The Five Little Lives That Changed My Morning

Yesterday morning, I witnessed something I wish I could erase from my memory. I know I never will.

A mother opossum was crossing the street in front of my home with her babies riding on her back. Opossums are not fast animals. A mother carrying babies moves even more slowly. Somewhere before I stepped out onto the street, a driver came through and struck her. When I reached her, she was gone. Her babies had been thrown into the roadway. Several had already been crushed beneath passing tires. Six were still alive.

I wish I could tell you I saved all six. I didn’t.

 

As I desperately searched my phone for someone to help, a tiny baby wandered farther into the street. Before I could reach it, another vehicle came through, and I watched that little life end as well. That image will stay with me for a long time.

I lost time while I ran home for a box and a towel. I placed each surviving baby in the box. They were so little, and they clung to my fingers as I picked them up. One of the babies I had to pull from the mother, as it clung to her for security. I was able to gather up the five surviving babies.

Fortunately, kindness arrived. Some gardeners stopped to see what they could do. Soon afterward, Animal Services officers arrived. The officers were incredibly compassionate. They assured me that I had done a good thing by saving the ones I could, even though all I could think about was the one I couldn’t.

I hope those five little ones will be given a chance to survive. I don’t know what their future will be, but I hope it includes the opportunity to grow up in safety.

Opossums are among the most misunderstood animals in our neighborhoods. They may show their teeth when frightened, but they are generally shy, nonaggressive creatures that would much rather avoid people than confront them. They quietly help our environment by eating insects, slugs, and ticks, making them valuable neighbors whether we notice them or not. They are also immune to rabies, as I understand it.

What happened today wasn’t just about wildlife. It was about attention. Whether the driver was distracted, in a hurry, or didn’t notice the mother on the road, the result was the same. A family was destroyed in an instant.

 

We live in neighborhoods where children play, families walk their dogs, people ride bicycles, and wildlife tries to survive alongside us. Slowing down by just a few seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

I am not writing this to shame anyone. I wasn’t in the driver’s seat, and I don’t know what happened in those few seconds. If I’m honest, I have to admit I wonder whether this was an unintentional accident or deliberate cruelty.

I am writing because I hope we can all do better. Please slow down so more lives can be spared. Look farther ahead than the car in front of you to notice what may be in the road. If you see an animal in the road and it is safe to do so, give it room and slow down. Those few extra seconds may save not just one life, but many.

This morning, I shed tears and questioned whether I could have done more. I always will. But if sharing this story causes even one driver to pause, notice, and slow down, then those five little survivors and the mother who gave everything for them will not have been forgotten.

Sometimes compassion begins with easing off the accelerator and choosing to slow down.