11/01/2023
❤️
One of the things rehabbers hear often is "I don't know how you do it! I wouldn't be able to let them go."
When I started rehabbing, I actually had the goal of learning to let go.
You see, I wasn't always a wildlife rehabber. I've had experiences that have shaped me and one of the things that I struggled with personally was learning to let go. Letting go of sadness, people, fear, anger, amongst many other things.
I even drafted a document entitled Learning to Let Go as a Wildlife Rehabilitator.
The public (you amazing humans) only see a snippet of what we endure as rehabbers. There is blood, sweat, tears, ugly sobbing, laughing while sobbing, stomach churning events, we see things we can't un-see and we feel things we can't un-feel.
We get animals that are injured, sick, orphaned, broken, wounded, abused, scarred, fighting for their lives, clinging to life, losing their lives. We work with blood, urine, f***s, vomit, eye infections, abscesses, lacerations, and other gore.
But in the midst of it all, something beautiful happens.
The dependent orphans learn to eat on their own. The broken leg heals and allows for bearing weight. The eye infection clears up and vision is restored. The wound scabs over. The wing heals. The pain fades.
Then one day, the very animals that we poured our heart, soul, time, money, and energy into are loaded up. The kennels are opened...in that moment, everything we've worked for, everything YOU have supported, comes to fruition.
The bird walks then flies off. The skunk feels fresh grass under his paws and waddles away. The owl spreads his beautiful wings and takes flight. The mama opossum cautiously takes that first step into her second chance. The raccoon climbs the tallest tree.
And...
We walk away. We let go.
Yes, we cry. We worry.
None of it matters because they were never ours to begin with.
Photo credit: Ren Dowhaniuk
