A lot of times when I’m writing this newsletter, something happens in my life and I think “What can I learn from an animal in this situation?” and that becomes the focus on my Weekly Wild story. Other times, the animals wander into my life in this case into my backyard and I think “What is this animal trying to tell me right now?”. The push and pull goes both ways!

This week, after an unusually rainy morning, a curious raccoon was on our deck right outside our kitchen.

So I started thinking about the raccoon and maybe if there was a message there for me. With its curious nature and busy little paws, the Raccoon reminds us to examine what’s close at hand and be resourceful. Could something we already own serve a different purpose? Could an old idea work in a new way? Could someone in our circle help us see a possibility we’ve missed? Maybe the idea or inspiration you’ve been searching for is right in front of you.

In my case, I’m facing a project I’ve never tackled before. I’ve started researching, making lists, and wondering how I’m going to figure it all out. Then I remembered: someone I know has done something similar. That one conversation won’t finish the project for me, but it definitely made the first step feel manageable.

So before we go searching for everything ourselves, it’s worth asking: What’s already here that I haven’t fully noticed?

This week, I’m carrying that question with me. Maybe the next step is closer than it feels.

– El

With its black mask, ringed tail, and remarkably nimble front paws, the raccoon is a resourceful neighbor. Primarily active at night, raccoons thrive in environments ranging from forests and wetlands to suburban neighborhoods and cities (or in my case, under my back deck!). Their varied diet includes fruits, insects, and small animals, allowing them to take advantage of different food sources as their opportunities change.

One of their most interesting tools is their sense of touch. Raccoons have highly sensitive front paws, which they use to investigate and handle food. The familiar behavior that looks like “washing” food is associated with this tactile exploration. The water enhances their sense of touch, helping them examine what they’re holding.

For a raccoon, exploring its surroundings is practical. Its adaptability depends on finding and using what is available. This same concept offers a useful invitation for our own lives. Before deciding you don’t have what you need, take a closer look at what you do have.

When a challenge feels overwhelming, our attention often goes straight to the gaps. We need more information, a bigger budget, a new plan. We can become so focused on finding something else that we stop noticing the resources within reach.

Perhaps there’s a skill you use so naturally that you no longer recognize its value, a friend whose experience could help you get started, or supplies tucked away from an earlier project.

The Raccoon’s lesson is an invitation to pay attention and to stay flexible about what something could become. A resource doesn’t always arrive labeled “the answer.” Sometimes it’s a connection you haven’t reached out to, an experience you’ve underestimated, or an ordinary object waiting for a different use.

This week, let curiosity interrupt the assumption that something is missing and take a closer look at what’s right in front of you.

I am really loving it when you share your daily card pulls with me - I’ve been seeing more of these come through Instagram. Tag @yourdailywild! It never gets old and always makes me smile to see the animals that are calling to you!