The Gods are Torturing Me

Early this summer it was a baby bird that set me off.  Today it was a small baby rodent.  Here's the story:

I had just walked into the garage to run a couple of errands and go get a hair cut when I noticed it on the floor.  It was making its way slowly across the floor, trying to figure out which way to go.  I couldn't tell what animal it exactly was - but it was only a couple of inches long, had no hair, couldn't see, and had clearly been born recently.  I am guessing it was either a mouse or a squirrel, but it had a longer nose than a mouse.  Either way, it was cute as could be, but was clearly lost.  And it had to get out of the garage.  And I had to get it out. 

After collecting myself (i.e., trying not to cry), I got the dust pan and brush and let the little thing crawl into the pan.  It knew immediately that something was wrong as soon as it took a couple of steps onto the pan, and I waited patiently (and freaked out) while it made it all the way in.  Once safely on the pan, I walked outside and gently brushed the baby animal onto the edge of the driveway.  I was afraid to put it in the grass, because I wasn't sure it would be able to climb through it.  The poor thing fell onto its back, and I attempted to turn it over with the brush, which was successful.  I then put the brush and pan away, climbed into my car, and drove away as fast as I could.  And then I cried.  

Where was this animal's mommy?  How on earth did it get onto the center of the garage floor?  Did its mommy find him, or did a bird find him and make him lunch?  Or did the poor thing get washed away in the rain today?  

Whatever happened, I was petrified to come home this afternoon.  I pulled into the driveway, looking for any signs of this poor thing.  Part of me wanted to see it and know it was OK, and part of me was afraid I would see it and then start to worry about it again.  

The baby was not in the driveway.  I'm going to assume that mommy found him and took care of him from there.  Because if I start to think of the alternatives, I just break down and cry again.

Oh, how I cannot wait for my hormones to go back to normal.