Eight things I learned from my rabbit
I’m currently caught up in a strange rabbit vortex. I’ve been thinking about Truffle nonstop, we came close to adopting a bun, and it’s Chinese New Year today—the year of the rabbit. This convergence of rabbity things is surely a sign that it’s time to work on a blog post I’ve had on my mind for the past three years. So let’s just hop to it.
Here are eight things I learned from my beloved Netherland Dwarf.
Water can be delicious.
Truffle drank a lot of water. And omg—the noises he made when he sipped water from his bottle or bowl! I never thought water could sound so delicious. Hearing him drink water made me want to drink water, but it never tasted as good as he made it sound. I wish I could have Truffle’s passion for water. Also, for romaine lettuce.
You don’t have to like everyone or everything.
Truffle’s list of things he disliked (or disapproved of, in bunny lingo) was enormous. He didn’t like visitors. He didn’t like Lulu. He didn’t like being picked up. He didn’t like strawberries. He didn’t like basil. He didn’t even like carrots.
Sometimes I think there’s something wrong with me if I don’t like someone or something (Why am I so picky? Am I a bad person?), but then I remember how confident Truffle was in the things he disliked, and that makes me feel better.
It’s ok to be messy.
Holy s&%$, Truffle was a hopping tornado. Everything he touched turned to a combination of hay, fur, torn up pieces of whatever, and bunny poop. But something magical happened each time he made a mess—it always got cleaned up. The mess seemed like a big deal at the time, but in hindsight, it really wasn’t.
Make time for your self-care routine.
Even though Truffle was messy, he had meticulous grooming habits. And if this busy rabbit could pause his digging and exploring to spend hours cleaning himself every day, I can try to quiet my mind so I’m not rushing through my own daily routine. I can put a wave in my hair, I can give myself a little facial massage when I put on my skincare, I can take a long Epsom salt bath.
Trust is earned and can be earned back.
Rabbits are prey animals and it’s not easy to earn their trust. We had Truffle from when he was a baby so he was quick to trust us, but we broke his trust when we brought home an unknown predator (Lulu). I cried because I thought I had lost Truffle’s trust forever. I cried because I thought he would never binky again.
I respected Truffle’s boundaries, and I was there for him when he needed me. A few weeks later (maybe it was days, but it felt like weeks), he started to trust me again. And a few days after that, he did a binky!
If someone’s doing something nice for you, relax and enjoy.
Truffle loved massages and kisses on the forehead. Oddly enough, he also loved hugs where I would encircle him with my arms as he sat in loaf formation on the ground. (You’d think this would be terrifying for a prey animal.)
One thing Truffle never did when he was getting all this attention? He never hopped away. He always relaxed and enjoyed himself, treating me with appreciative tooth purrs and barely-audible clicks that sounded just like the noises I made when I gave him kisses on the forehead.
It was a game of affectionate chicken, or our version of a staring contest, and Truffle always won—because after 20-30 minutes of doting on him, I usually had to get up for a stretch.
It’s ok to ask for help.
Truffle was a very independent rabbit, but in his elderly years, he always wanted to be near me. He didn’t have the energy to sit up on his own anymore, so he would rest his tiny head on my ankle or smush his little body against my leg.
Sometimes, I’m afraid to ask for help because I don’t want to be a burden. But then I remember that Truffle was never a burden when he needed someone to lean on.
Life’s short.
This is the biggest lesson I learned from Professor Truffle. He was with us for over 10 years, but it felt like no time at all. This sweet bunny taught me that life’s too short to be unhappy, to not express your love to the people (and creatures) you care about, and to not be true to yourself.
Sending you binkies to bring in the year of the rabbit,
Addendum — Reflective questions
What have you learned this year from unexpected sources? And what are the learnings you want to build on in the coming year and beyond?
I’ve been experimenting with turning these blog posts into cozy solocasts. If you’d like some more context around this month’s blog post and hear my thoughts on the reflective questions, click here for the companion podcast episode.