The Ones Who Walk the Wild Way: Rabbits, Moles & Healing Off the Beaten Path

Not everyone heals in a straight line.

Some people move fast, darting ahead, full of energy and clarity. Others take the long way round, circling the same ground again and again. Some disappear underground for months before surfacing with something new to show.

The woodland reminds me: there is no single way to move through the wild. Rabbits leap. Moles burrow.

Foxes circle unseen. Each survives in its own way. And each path is valid.

The Rabbit’s Leap

Rabbits don’t do hesitation. They dash. One minute still, the next gone, white tails flashing as they disappear into the hedge.

Some people heal like this. A sudden burst of change, quitting the job, leaving the relationship, speaking a truth that’s been buried for decades.

From the outside, it looks impulsive. But rabbits know when it’s time to leap. The build-up has been silent, underground. And then movement.

Healing doesn’t always creep. Sometimes it bolts.

The Mole’s Tunnel

Then there’s the mole. You rarely see it. Its work happens in darkness, in soil, in unseen networks of tunnels. From above, it looks like nothing’s happening. But underground, it’s relentless.

Some healing is like this. Quiet. Hidden. Long stretches where nothing seems to change. The world might say: you’re stuck, you’re avoiding, you’re not trying hard enough.

But underground, things are shifting. Roots are being loosened. New passages are being made. This work matters, even if no one claps for it.

The Fox’s Path

Foxes are tricksters. They weave through hedges, double back, slip into shadows. They don’t run in straight lines; they take the wildest routes, often unseen.

Some people heal like this, circling the wound, approaching from the edges, retreating, then circling again. It looks indirect, but it’s instinctive. The fox knows how to survive by refusing the obvious path.

Healing, too, sometimes happens by going sideways. Not tackling the trauma head-on, but through creativity, community, and ritual. The fox reminds us there’s courage in the crooked path.

When Healing Doesn’t Look Like Healing

One of the hardest parts of therapy is when people believe they’re failing because their progress doesn’t look like someone else’s.

But rabbits, moles, and foxes all survive. None are wrong. None are “behind.” They just move differently.

The forest holds them all. And it can hold you, too.

The Myth of the Straight Line

Our culture loves straight lines. Progress tracked on charts. Goals ticked off in neat order. Healing presented as a before-and-after photo.

But nature doesn’t work like that. Growth happens in spirals, setbacks, detours. Forest paths twist and fork. Rivers meander. Animals circle. Healing is wild, not linear.

If your journey doesn’t fit the straight line, it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re alive.

Why This Matters

Trauma recovery is messy. Sometimes you’ll leap like the rabbit. Sometimes you’ll tunnel like the mole. Sometimes you’ll circle like the fox.

Each way is legitimate. Each way counts. And therapy is not about forcing you into someone else’s pace. It’s about helping you trust your own.

The wild ones remind us: there are many ways to move through the dark. None are wrong. None are wasted.

So if your healing looks nothing like anyone else’s — good. Maybe you’re just walking the wild way.

Sarah x