Why Roadrunner?

I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and decades later my childhood home still influences me. As a relational therapist, I believe that individuals are defined in a large part by the criss-crossing cultures they inhabit. I offer the state bird of New Mexico as a representation of my goal to truly see and understand my clients.

Besides being able to run up to 25 miles per hour in search of prey or to escape danger, the roadrunner is revered in some indigenous cultures for its courage, strength, and endurance. In this sense, the roadrunner is an apt symbol of the bravery needed to tolerate and the inevitable difficulty life presents and even to thrive regardless of our circumstances. Therapy takes bravery, but there is always hope.

My grandparents were avid birdwatchers. Whenever they came to visit us in the southwest, they brought their binoculars in hope of spotting and elusive roadrunner for their life lists. I think they maybe saw one roadrunner their whole lives. Roadrunners always remind me of my grandparents and cause me to reflect on the importance of support in our lives.