“Just watch and you will be cured,” said my son. “Cured of what?” I asked. “Thinking that squirrels are pests and annoying,” he replied. I watched the squirrel hop off the patio and run away. I looked at the mess of smeared pumpkin pulp and crushed seeds on the brick around the half-hollow pumpkin that my son planned to carve. He must have seen my expression as I thought of the clean up. He said, “it only took one minute for my mind to change and think squirrels are cute. Watch him! Your mind will change, too.”

I sat down on the kitchen floor and looked through the patio door. The squirrel returned. His frenzied feasting resumed despite my presence at the window. He worked fast using his whole body to scoop the pumpkin pulp. He sifted out seeds and held them with his small claws and nibbled while keeping a side glance at me. His body twitched, climbed and circled the pumpkin in seconds. I touched my phone blindly trying to capture his silly moves. Then he disappeared.

My son and I laughed at the squirrel photos I got. The photo of him touching the pumpkin had us imagine what he might say to us if he could speak. “Mine all mine!” and “Look, I am touching it!” We texted the photo to friends and family. We all laughed. My son was right. I was cured. The messy pest became Jack (as my son named him), our furry friend who gave us the gift of a good laugh and connection with each other and our friends.