I had my work cut out this week with our cat Lily. It was a normal morning, I was organising my breakfast and lunch and I heard the cat flap. Nothing unusual, except I could tell she was struggling to come in as it kept opening and closing. I wondered what was happening and went to investigate.
I got to the door just in time to see her squeezing through the cat flap with a baby rabbit. It wasn’t small but it was definitely a young bunny. Eventually, Lily put it down and instantly I scooped it up in both hands, where it proceeded to kick me, desperate to get away. I quickly opened the cat flap and popped it back through hoping to grant it’s wish for freedom.
Lily had other ideas. Everything happened so quickly, she dove back before I could lock the cat flap. I ran to our patio doors to get outside and save the rabbit.
I picked Lily up and put her inside. This time I managed to lock the cat flap so she had no way out. She was not impressed. But at least I could breathe out knowing the rabbit had a chance to escape.
Thankfully, it wasn’t injured. It hopped away to freedom and disappeared into my neighbours garden through a gap in the fence. Lily, unlike the rabbit, was firmly indoors. The rabbit, went on its way and hopefully found its home again.
How often have you been in a situation where you didn’t realise the person was trying to help you or you refused their help altogether?
I knew I was trying to help the rabbit, it did not. It didn’t know I was saving it from my cat, or I wanted it to live as much as it did. So when it was kicking me I completely understood it’s desire to break for freedom and get away.
I don’t know which direction the rabbit came from. Not far, as we occasionally see some on our street or on the path leading to the woods.
Have you ever felt lost or found yourself somewhere unfamiliar?
When you feel lost and are unsure where to turn, what do you do? Ask for help, avoid help and try to figure it out alone? Or a bit of both, working through it yourself, but knowing when you need to get others involved?
Just like that little rabbit, we don’t always recognise the hands of someone trying to help us. Help might not always look the way we expect but it is likely to be there.
Imagine someone suddenly scooping you up when all you want to do is run (or hop) away. Being helped and given support can feel scary when we’re overwhelmed with anxiety and uncertainty. Accepting help and support means taking a moment to slow down and trust the person in front of us wants what is best for us and is not a threat. Some people genuinely want to help guide us back to familiar territory or at least steady ground.
Watching the rabbit hop away, I realised how often we can find ourselves in that same place. Suddenly somewhere unfamiliar, unsure how we got there, unsure which direction leads back to safety.
Life can take us off our path without warning, such as a change at work, a relationship breaking down, a change we couldn’t foresee. One minute we’re nibbling grass in the sunshine, having a great day and the next we’re bolting through someone else’s garden wondering how on earth we ended up here.
Being lost isn’t a failure. It’s a moment, a breath, a turning point. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is admit we don’t know the way and let someone walk or hop beside us while we figure it out. We don’t have to navigate these moments alone. Other times, we need to take a deep breath to steady ourselves so we can hop forward on our own, knowing support is available should we need it.
We all lose our way sometimes, and we all need help from time to time. Neither of those things makes us weak, they are part of what makes us human. Quite often we don’t have the answers but another person can help you to figure it out and find what you are looking for. Whatever happens, just like that little rabbit you will find your way again one hop at a time.
Thank you for reading and have a great week.
Look after you.
Love Emma xx
Wellbeing with Relaxing Lavender 