Rabbits

it's pretty much every morning that I see rabbits in my neighborhood, usually right on the edge of a grassy lot and the presence of woods nearby for a quick place to hide. There are foxes present too, hawks as well, and maybe predators unknown to me, so it pays to be in the right location, not quiet out in the wide open but having options to either flee or hide. There have been years that I never see a rabbit, perhaps they escape my attention, I'm usually pretty sharp in spotting wildlife though, one of the purposes of my early walks is to allow myself this time in nature, mindful, being present to all that might show itself to me. I'm blessed to live in a neighborhood that has quite the diversity of birds and other wildlife, and even a common sighting of any still thrills me deeply. 

so I'm always on the lookout for rabbits. 

there's many answers as to why I'm seeing more this year, and all of them are intricately related, a web of infinite design that stretches past this present year alone. That's how nature works, cycles of abundance and seasons of scarcity, and yet always balancing in a delicate display of life. Right now is the time for rabbits to flourish, whatever the reason, and I delight in their morning company, every sighting is an opportunity to smile in appreciation to these amazing creatures. 

of course with more rabbits now they're often seen as pest, intruders on neighborhood lawns and destructive to their gardens. What's forgotten is that they are essential to the ecosystem, and yes, they will eat what's found in gardens, but many weeds as well and their waste product acts as fertilizer to the soil, nourishing to the plants we most value. Again, it's a balance, or really, balancing, life is always flowing to opportunities for its continuation and we belong to this process as well. We are the ecosystem, every bit as much as rabbits, and only our insistence to having things a certain way keeps us from finding ourselves in this balancing display of life. 

I'm not a gardener, nor do I place any value on my lawn, rabbits are free to roam my yard. Yet I do understand the frustration of my neighbors, their time and effort spent on their creation. I admire their commitment. The lawns I truly love are those dedicated to biodiversity, pollinator gardens, areas that leave themselves open to the ways of nature. Those are the Taoist, gardeners of intent to live within the balancing equation of life. They find a way to live with rabbits, offering no harm, knowing that everything belongs within this balance. 

for me, I just find myself happy in their sightings. Rabbits are wildlife, creatures of curiosity and wonder, and they seem to draw my soul towards its own wild existence. They remind me of my true and only world is nature, an ecosystem of intricate display and that I'm simply another  strand within its infinite web, essential, yet part of it's delicate balancing act as well. 

that I'm always, only...

an essential point in the vast display of nature. 

~

Peace Eric