Empathy and a hedgehog

Photo: author's archive (a different encounter with a hedgehog)

​I felt disappointed. I realised I could have helped a woman in the rain. I was about to offer her to share my umbrella, but I was sure she was already home. When she ran on, I was sure that I had made a silly assumption. And to top it all off, we were going in the same direction.

I was starting to spin tales in my head of the awful person that I was when I looked down and saw a hedgehog. It was on a busy sidewalk with lots of traffic around. We had left the nearest park with my dog only minutes ago, but there were a few busy streets to cross.

I had moved hedgehogs before but always with a kitchen mitten or something similar. I didn't have anything extra I could use on that spring morning, so I decided to put my hand under it as it had yet to curl into the safe shape of a ball. Slowly, while talking to it, with my dog right next to me, the hedgehog allowed me to lift it up without curling or puncturing me.

During the five-minute walk under the safety of my umbrella, the little fella was rather curious about the experience, calmly looking around. The few people who passed us by were too preoccupied with their lives to notice the precious creature in my hand that sniffed from afar.

As soon as we reached a fenced garden right next to the park, it started moving as if to show that this was its stop. I had seen hedgehogs there before, so I lowered it onto the grass on the other side of the fence.

I petted its pointy nose to say goodbye and left. I felt light and warm as if the sun was suddenly shining again. I was exhilarated by this brief exchange of energy and trust. It turned out that my goodness had gone where it was needed more.

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