Following the Ants

We have 2 of the biggest ant hills I have seen around here, on the hillside behind our house. They are each about 2 feet tall and getting bigger every year. This picture is of one of them. (Click on it to see the detail.) They fascinate me, and I sometimes go out in the summer and sit for a while watching what goes on there. One little black ant will struggle for hours just to carry one tiny twig to the top of the hill. They are completely focused on their work and are deterred by nothing. I protect their little masterpieces. When my boys' friends come to visit, I tell them "Don't you dare touch my ant hills!"

I remember my mother reading to me the story of the ants and the grasshopper. As badly as I always felt for the grasshopper, I completely understood how he had chosen his plight. It made an impression on me. Here is a thought taken from The Book of Virtues:

The ant, like the bee, has long been held up as a paradigm of industriousness. As Proverbs 6:6-8 in the Bible says, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest."

They have no taskmaster, no President, no laws and police force. They just simply do what needs to be done, and they are prepared. Nature is a beautiful teacher. I hope we can all be just like the ants when we grow up!