Rabbit Wisdom

Several years ago, I was in the midst of a personal crisis that upended me. Filled with fear and anxiety, I had no perspective and was seemingly out of options. Instead of my usual cheer when heading out for my daily walk, I would go out filled with fear and anxiety.

One of those mornings, I noticed a small, wild rabbit hopping along beside me.

Hop. Hop.

In my confused and scattered mind, It actually seemed as if the little guy was keeping pace with me. He’d stop, then hop a bit farther, then stop again.

My head was churning, my thinking a twisting tornado. In almost ridiculous desperation I reached out to the rabbit.
“What should I do, little rabbit,” I said silently. “I need help.”

Hop. Hop.

Then an incredible thing happened. The bunny stopped and turned around. He looked at me for a second — and answered me.
“Seek inner peace,” the rabbit said.”Everything else will take care of itself.”

Somehow that little rabbit/consciousness/angel of grace could see inside my head. He could see that there was definitely nothing peaceful going on in there. In fact, what was going on was a cacophony. He could see how afraid I was, and his simple words washed over me with clarity.

He had given me a plan. Not a plan that addressed my problem directly, but a plan. A better plan. And with it I knew where to go and what to do. I didn’t have to respond to the so-called “crisis” I was facing at all. It would take care of itself. All I had to do was seek quietude — seek what would give me inner peace.

Since that fateful day, I have taken the little rabbit’s advice to heart. It has shaped my life, re-ordered my priorities, and simplified even the most complicated of circumstances.

“Seek inner peace.” The wise little rabbit said. “Everything else will take care of itself.”

Carmelene Melanie Siani
50plus Magazine

Carmelene Melanie Siani is beloved for her widely published stories on family, caregiving, grief, late-life love and more. Find her at www.facebook.com/StoryBelly