Alert

With spring, it isn’t only the birds returning to the valley.

As the days warm, the snakes begin to appear. At first they are slow, lying in the sun before moving more freely through the grass and around the rocks.

I am always aware of what may be nearby, but at this time of year my attention sharpens. It takes only a distracted step to find yourself closer to a snake than either of you intended.

They are not looking for confrontation. Mostly, they want enough space to move on.

Being alert comes with living here. I no longer know whether I always noticed as much as I do now, or whether the land taught me over time.

That same attention is present when I sit with clients.

A slight hesitation. A change in tone. Something said in passing that does not quite fit with the rest. The response around the table that comes and goes before anyone names it.

None of these things tells you what is happening.

But they may tell you where to look.