Searching for the Rare
During a recent trip to Colorado, my husband and I were taking a walk. We love the fresh air, and inevitably, we return home in better physical health than we started. During our walks, I will occasionally listen to music that is very connected to my faith, but more often than not, I keep my earbuds off. I am present. I look for the wildlife not seen at home. I hear more birds at once than ever, but it is different from the mass sound of crows at home. These birds are conversational, all speaking different languages through the various species, but beautiful to the human ear.
During one such walk, I saw this guy. I jokingly mentioned to my husband that “they don't make them like this at home”. I remained present during the walk, but was quick to utilize Google Lens once we completed our walk. According to Google, our little friend is a melanistic grey squirrel. If this is true, he is of the same species as a grey squirrel, but acquired a black coat through a faulty pigment gene. There are all sorts of debates and opinions on the internet about how rare they are, with some claiming they are super rare, while others in various parts of the northern United States report seeing them everywhere. All I know is that for this Texan girl, it was a first, and it captured my attention. During the rest of the trip, we walked the same stretch multiple times, and found a black squirrel often. Was it the same one? Was it part of a family? I don't know. What I do know is that there were SO many gray squirrels throughout other parts of the property, but only one stretch of 20 feet contained one ( or multiple) black squirrels.
Life contains the mundane and routine. Anyone that knows me will vouch that I thrive in predictability. But what I also know is that the same predictability that brings order and stability for me can also be detrimental if I fail to appreciate what is around me.
My patterns can lead to autopilot thoughts and behaviors that don't always allow for seeing things outside of the obvious. Seeing the rare in life is often only possible when you are looking for it. The noise, internal and external, often drowns out awareness of the unique. The patterns can keep life two dimensional, and really, what fun is that?
So carry on with the things that keep order to your life. Find the rhythm that helps you feel steady in this world that can be so unsettling. These are needed. However, may you also be aware and open enough to embrace the possibilities of gems beyond your habits. May you be open to viewing life through a different lens, one that finds the rare by intentionally looking for it.
Rachel Nauss is a therapist at The Hope Place that sees children and adults. She is a Registered Play Therapist with Texas and is our Operations Manager. For questions, she can be reached at info@hopeplacetx.com.
