Mostly I see their black tails flashing as they speed away from me, their muscular legs powering them across the desert terrain. But every now and then, I’ll spot one’s spectacular ears far enough in the distance that he’ll stay a while as long as I’m quiet (yes, I know they aren’t all males, but they are all “Jack” to me). Since I often carry binoculars for birdwatching, on the rare days that a jackrabbit pauses in my presence, I might see its ears turning toward me, its nose twitching, its whiskers quivering—all its senses alert to my intentions. Jackrabbits remind me to pay attention to what is happening around me.

Though it’s true that given their proximity, it’s no surprise they’ve crossed my path so often this winter, but it’s also true that I choose to make meaning of it. When I searched for the meaning that Indigenous people ascribe to jackrabbits, the first words that came up were hope,  adaptability, and determination. Those words resonate with me at this particular time in my life. So, now, when Jack crosses my path, as he and his kin did each day I hiked this week, in addition to attention, I’m reflecting on hope, adaptability, and determination.

What are you reflecting on?