mother vs. mother

Today I went on a walk with my little ones. It was a beautiful morning, the kind that calls me out for a walk. The air was crisp and cool but the sun was bright. We bundled up, only to unbundle half way through our route. We walked our usual walk through the neighborhoods and as we were coming around a familiar corner I stopped instantly and was taken back by a mother racoon and her 3 little coons crossing the same street I was walking onto. The mother racoon stopped as well. We were closer to each other than either of us would have preferred. I was scared. She was scared too. I don't like racoons. I never have. They really terrify me and I felt violated that they were out in the broad daylight on my walk! Now, I don't know if you're supposed to make eye contact with this animal or not but I did and something really amazing happened. It was as if through that gaze we came to understand each other. In that short moment, and it was really short because I was scared, it was like our hearts were heard and I was able to beg her, "please don't hurt my babies," and she mutually agreed that if I stayed away from her coons she would stay away from mine. And so we did. I, still stopped in my tracks, waited for her and her babies to cross the road. When they had crossed she turned back for one last look and I was then able to proceed on my walk.
This was a happy learning experience for me and I found it interesting that I knew she was a mother. I didn't see any of her motherly features but the way she stared me down and the way she was so concerned for her little ones made it so evident that she was their mother. I love nature.
I still don't like racoons!