Entry 2- Finding Kindred on Campus


A Culture of Giving Back – Chancellor’s Blog: Leading On
Photo Credit: A Culture of Giving Back – Chancellor’s Blog: Leading On

Admittedly, the most difficult concept for me to grasp thus far in our semester is kindred. Abbey's patient decision regarding the rattlesnake made my struggle undeniable. His actions stood in stark contrast to my instinctive hypothetical reaction in that situation. Therefore, my weekend goal was to come to terms with what kindred really means in my own life and begin seeing nature and its inhabitants as Abbey does.

Unfortunately, my mission got off to a terrible start. By Saturday morning, I had already attempted to smash an invasive mosquito against my driver's-side window and squish a spider I found particularly ominous crawling along the sidewalk. Abbey would be furious at this behavior, and honestly, I was disappointed in myself. These negative reactions were automatic. For kindred to feel natural, I would need an example of it in action.

On Sunday morning, that example found me. As I stepped outside my apartment, I was greeted by three TCU squirrels. These fluffy-tailed creatures are abundant around campus and certainly beloved. Students greet them with smiles, name them, and our chancellor has even joked about changing our mascot to their likeness. A quick Google search of "TCU Squirrels" yields endless pictures and videos. Unlike annoying mosquitoes or scary spiders, squirrels are familiar friends to the TCU community because we treat them as kindred. 

Watching them Sunday morning, it was easy to see why. Their erratic movements and entertaining actions revealed tiny personalities. They felt like neighbors among us. I appreciated their being and their place as a fellow participant in our environment. For the first time, I thought to myself, "This is kindred."

I am obviously no Abbey, but kindred is no longer an unreachable concept for me. I will continue to work on it by pausing, as I did this weekend, to acknowledge the life around me. Perhaps then, one day, I will begin to feel kindred towards everything, even snakes, mosquitoes, and spiders.

Comments

  1. williams.dan76February 10, 2026 at 8:13 AM

    Abbey is a little idealistic when he speaks of kinship with the life around us, and over with the environment around us. I understand. Many have also commented on the difficulty of feeling kinship with mosquitoes and other stinging insects. I once hiked in Arkansas one late summer and discovered the ground nearly seething with ticks. I do not feel kinship with ticks. But I do feel deeply connected with the natural environments I spend time in, and I understand that ticks and mosquitoes are a part of that environment. I think that's what Abbey is trying to get us to understand. we--humans--are a part of the environment, not above it.

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