Feeling Hedgie

I would like to introduce one of the smallest members of our family. Her name is Percival, and she lives a quiet life in our basement. Percival is an African Pygmy hedgehog.

Our hedgehog is almost five years old. We bought her for Christmas a couple of years into our marriage. That year I gave my husband an ultimatum: "I would like a baby or a puppy"... Ben came home with a prickly hedgehog.

Interestingly enough, our first son was born about a year later.

Percival has proven to be an interesting pet. Hedgehogs tend to be very quiet. On occasion, our hedgie will emit cute squeaks and whistles. They are also quite timid. When a hedgehog feels threatened it will roll into a tight ball and bare its quills. It will also hiss and make a throaty "rrrrrrr" sound. However, when Percival feels safe her quills lay flat and soft, and it she will expose her curious, furry face.

In some ways I feel a kinship to my prickly pet. Sometimes I face situations where I wish I could roll into a tight ball and hiss, "Go away!". I have struggled with being timid most of my life. As an adult I have learned some coping mechanisms to deal with my shyness. At the same time, it is a daily struggle to reach out and engage with other people.

I have come to realize that God, in His wisdom, has made my nature quiet and introspective. There is nothing wrong with being introverted. At the same time, God has not given me a spirit of fear. The Bible says that "... perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18).

So here is my secret. When I feel too shy to phone up a friend or go out to a party, I take my eyes off of myself and set my focus on other people. I call my friend and ask how she is doing, or I go to the party and make conversation centered on other people's interests. I try to think less of myself and more of others.

At times I know I still come across as "prickly", but I am working on it. Percival has been a good mentor for me. My hedgehog has taught me that I can learn to let my quills down, and I can expose myself to others.

And if nothing else, having a hedgehog for a pet is a great conversation starter!