I am the Mama Bear

I remember one time walking with Brandy and Aiden about a year ago when a big dog walked by us on the sidewalk. Brandy told me that she was like a mother bear, that she could kill that dog if she had to to protect her cub.

Now I am the Mama Bear.

Jon and I take Benjamin walking at ACU and I am alert to every possible danger. I cross automatically to whichever side of the path is furthest from traffic, be it human, animal, or motor. My eyes dart to and fro, like Jack Bauer on high alert. And, yes, I'm pretty sure I could kill a dog if I had to. As we round a corner, I immediately sense the danger of a swampy bit of grass...mosquito breeding ground. Determined that no mosquito will feast on my fleshy four-month-old, I take the path at a fast jog. But as I clear the mosquito swamp, I begin to hear an ominous hum that fills the air. I look up to see thousands of bees swarming a tree just ahead, rising like great clouds of smoke against the sky. The bees are like a fire in the tree and their sizzle stings my ears, filling me with visions of My Girl. And Benjamin and I are a streak--we fly from the bee tree, back up the mosquito swamp path, around the other side, and about a block's distance away. When I feel we are at a safe distance, I look back to see Jon standing near the bee tree, talking on the phone. While he reports the bees to the university, I check my boy--no bee stings, no mosquito bites--the cub is safe.