The Unexpected Charm of Jimothy the Raccoon

Jimothy is a raccoon who has gone viral on social media, but he has a valuable lesson to teach us: How to treat other people who aren't "perfect".

From Aleteia

By Cerith Gardiner

Seattle's viral raccoon is delighting millions — and not just because somebody named him Jimothy.

The internet has a new favorite animal called Jimothy. He's a little Seattle raccoon with an unusually rounded body, a determined waddle and, according to veterinarians, what may be an extremely rare congenital condition known as short spine syndrome.

Before we go any further, though, can we take a moment to appreciate that somebody looked at this delightful little creature and decided his name should be Jimothy? Not Jim. Not Timothy. Jimothy. Frankly, it's impossible to improve upon.

Since videos of the little chap began circulating on social media, Jimothy has become an unlikely internet celebrity as he's filmed going about his daily life.

Seattle has fallen so completely under his spell that one city councilor has jokingly proposed celebrating "Jimothy Summer," while local residents have spoken of dreaming about catching a glimpse of him — always, they insist, from a respectful distance. Wildlife experts have been quick to remind everyone that the greatest kindness they can show is not to feed him or interfere with his life. Jimothy doesn't need rescuing. He simply needs to be allowed to get on with the important business of being a raccoon.

Reading the thousands of comments beneath the videos, one thought keeps returning. Nobody seems remotely disappointed that Jimothy doesn't look like other raccoons. Quite the opposite. The very thing people adore is the thing that makes him different.

It has apparently never crossed anyone's mind to wish his spine were a little longer, his body a little sleeker or his walk a little more graceful. Nobody looks at Jimothy and thinks, "What a shame." Instead, they delight in him exactly as he is.

It does make you wonder why extending that same generosity to one another on a human scale can sometimes feel so much harder.

What if imperfection was celebrated in humans?

Human beings have an extraordinary talent for noticing imperfections, especially our own. We apologize for scars, worry about wrinkles, compare ourselves with impossible standards and quietly assume that looking a little more like everyone else might somehow make us easier to love.

Jimothy, meanwhile, appears blissfully unconcerned. He isn't trying to become a more elegant raccoon or wishing he looked like the one living three trees over. He is simply living the life he has been given, one determined little waddle at a time.

It is difficult not to think of the way Jesus looked at people. Again and again, he drew close to those whose bodies or circumstances made them stand out from the crowd, or even outcasts. The blind, the lame, those living with leprosy and others who had grown used to being defined by what made them different all discovered that, in Christ's eyes, their dignity had never depended on appearing "normal." He saw the person before he saw the condition.

That doesn't mean difference is easy, or that disability should ever be romanticized. Jimothy's unusual spine almost certainly presents challenges that other raccoons never face, just as many people live with conditions involving pain, frustration or limitations that deserve compassion rather than easy slogans.

Perhaps Jimothy's greatest achievement has nothing to do with going viral. For a few days at least, he persuaded millions of people to delight in difference without trying to change it first. That feels like a rather good instinct to hold onto. After all, God has been delighting in wonderfully original creations from the very beginning.

If you'd like to see Jimothy in action, take a look at the video below:

And, if you'd like a little reminder of Biblical figures with imperfections -- just like the rest of us -- take a look at the slideshow below:

Launch the slideshow