Oh Deer!


I made sure the ladies from corporate had their reports for their noon conference call. I left the two of them and my administrator in her office.


I clocked out, informed the receptionist, and headed to the car. The clouds were dark and ominous, and a wild wind whipped my hair into my face. It felt like a storm was brewing, and I felt a breath of anticipation in the air.


I drove to my husband’s workplace where we shared reheated salsa chicken and veggie quesadillas. I was proud of him for fixing a healthy lunch. We chatted and before long, it was time to head back.


As I walked into the nursing home, small groups of people were milling about, talking in hushed, excited voices. I slowly walked to the time clock, trying to make sense of what was being said.


“Is he still in there? Don’t open the door! I hope it’s okay. How did that happen? Where’s [the administrator]?”


“What’s going on?” I finally asked the receptionist.


Her eyes were wide. “A deer went through her window.”


I followed a small group that was headed outside to get a closer look. A few steps from the front entrance, I could see the jagged edge of the broken window and brownish red smears around the frame. Finally someone pointed it out to me- the tan back of a doe, labored in its breathing.


Animal control drove up. We were all asked to go inside, and then behind closed doors. As the animal control officer struggled with the deer to guide her back outside, I could hear the sound of breaking glass and the pounding on the heating duct through our shared office wall. It was heart-wrenching to think of the poor confused creature, still struggling to stay alive. It was scary, too.


I heard our maintenance supervisor say that the officer was going to put the animal down. I could see the deer through my office window now, lying in the grass, its mouth covered in blood, panting for breath. I went to the far corner of my office. I wanted to cover my ears like a child, but I couldn’t miss the faint “pop” that meant it was all over.


When the three ladies returned to the office to find laptops, purses, briefcases, and various personal items spattered in blood, they were shocked, and one was almost hysterical. Several office items headed straight to the dumpster. The housekeeping staff spent the next couple hours cleaning the mess that nearly covered the entire office.


The noon conference call had been cancelled. Had it not, the three ladies would have been in the office at the time the deer decided to run at the window. They would have been pelted with flying glass and possible attacked by a wounded animal. If they hadn’t decided to close and lock the door to take a tour of the building, the animal could have been running rampant through the nursing home.


I don’t believe in coincidences. God took care of my co-workers and the residents. Thank you!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Discovering Happiness

A Beautiful Life

The Pink Slip