I once encountered a possum who had been accidentally trapped in a cage meant for a raccoon. Before help arrived to release her, I returned and witnessed something unforgettable. She emptied her pouch and began feeding the five tiny babies she had been secretly carrying inside the cage.
It was a painful moment to witness—her fierce love for her children, the bruise on her nose, her pleading eyes asking us to leave her alone in that confinement. She was terrified, yet completely devoted.
Of course, she was set free. I wished her well.
In that moment, I understood something deeply: I am a mother before anything else—not an intruder to nature, but a part of it.

— from the Clown & Mushroom collection