A New Perspective that Changes Everything

I have loved working with my daughter creating animal education books especially for children. We have learned a lot of new things in the course of this process, but one day stands out as drastically changing my perception for the better.

On that particular day, we had gathered a small group of bunnies for our first book. Since animals are my daughter’s expertise, she is always mindful to make sure we do not cause them any stress in the course of working with them. We placed them on a protected lawn with an abundance of sun and shade and let them explore and roam freely undisturbed by us. Once they appeared comfortable with their surroundings, I began taking pictures.

A conditioned response

It is always a bit tricky to find the balance with animals in getting close enough to take a photo but not so close as to trigger the fight or flight response. Even laying on my stomach and hardly moving, they were either on their hind legs watching and ready to warn the others or running away and hiding. Our brief time with them was as stress-free as we could make it, yet bunnies being bunnies, they saw danger in every movement and our very existence in the yard seemed to threaten them. They didn’t know that they could not have a better person championing their cause than my daughter. All except this one.

The courage to see differently

As I shot picture after picture, this little guy actually turned around and began slowly moving towards me. He came at an angle, and I wanted to shoot straight-on, so I wiggled and crawled and put myself right in his path, all the while being watched by him. He moved a bit closer and sat there and stared at me for quite some time, then turned around and hopped slowly across the yard. I was intrigued by his courage.

As I watched him hop away, I wondered what made him so different from the rest of them. He came from the same litter, was raised by the same mother, and was among his rabbit siblings. Yet, he somehow found the way to not be afraid.

Learning not to borrow trouble

Most of us seek to be courageous and look our problems squarely in the face. But in doing that, sometimes we are like those other bunnies: we see trouble where none exists. We fret and worry and spend our valuable energy wondering what is going to happen, often expecting, and bracing for the worst.

This brave little bunny reminded me of a quote that my brother gave me years before when I was firmly entrenched in believing bad things were coming my way. This helped me change my view of life to a more productive one. 

Some of your hurts you have cured, 
And the sharpest you still have survived, 
But what torments of grief you endured
From the evil which never arrived. 
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson