Some Bunny Loves You! And That Bunny Is Me!
If you’ve followed my story for very long, you will know my daughter, Ruby loves bunny rabbits. And it’s not just that she has stuffed bunny toys. She is deeply committed to her fluffy friends. Besides sleeping every night with a pink bunny, known as Daddy Bunny and a gray bunny, known as Mommy Bunny, she pretends she is a bunny. In fact, I’ve learned the secret to getting her to do what I want. I simply pretend she is my “baby bunny.” I’ll say to her, “Hey Baby Bunny, could you please put away your toys?” Seconds later she is hopping in delight to complete the task for her “Mommy Bunny.” Once done with her task, we enjoy a crunchy imaginary carrot together. It’s honestly the sweetest thing to watch her act out her imagination.
Recently, while on a wet spring afternoon, Ruby and I immersed ourselves in her toddler imagination. We dressed in our favorite spring dresses, put blush on each other’s cheeks, and gathered up our most precious tea set for a bunny tea party. The tea set we used was once my Grandma Fleagle’s. My daughter never had the opportunity to meet her Grandma Vera, but I know she would have loved her. My Grandma was one of the most artistic people I knew. Besides having the talent to draw and paint almost anything, she loved bright and bold colors. Whenever possible, she’d dress-up in big prints with bright bursts of color. She also loved statement jewelry and wore it fiercely. The tea pot we used today, however was a new addition from my mother. While on an antique shopping trip, she came across this tea pot. As she gave it to me, she remarked, “When I saw this, I couldn’t believe it! The color matched exactly to Grandma’s set! I immediately thought of you and knew it would be perfect!” Truer words were never said! My tea set is now complete!
Next, my daughter and I cut up juicy strawberries and lit our fireplace. The scene was set in our living room for a lovely tea party! “Welcome to my tea party!” My daughter exclaimed with excitement to myself and all of our bunny guest’s. As the party got underway, we chatted about our dresses. Twirling a few times in front of the fireplace, her lacy dress looked like pink flower petals fluttering in the wind. “My sweet flower!” I said with happiness. “No Mom! I am a bunny!” She quickly responded in correction.
While sitting on the floor together with our bunny ears neatly placed on our heads, memories from tea parties from my childhood filled my mind. I remembered a tea set with the loveliest flowers painted on the glass. One of the teacups was my favorite as it had, what I considered, the most beautiful flowers displayed. I always wanted to use it when my mother prepared our time together. On a few mornings she’d wake me before any of my siblings. Darkness still covered the house as we tiptoed to her bedroom. My father would already be dressed and gone by this point for work. Once inside, I’d find a breakfast tea party set for just the two of us. She’d prepare my two favorite things, hot chocolate and cinnamon toasted bread. For whatever reason, her hot chocolate was the best. Always warm and always creamy. Quietly we sipped on our drinks and ate our toast while nine of my siblings slept. I felt like we were having a secret moment only the two of us could share. I knew moments like this took extra preparation and care on my mother’s part. Because of this, I felt deeply grateful to her. I also felt deeply loved by her. To this day, when I smell the warm spice of cinnamon I am transported back to my childhood home. I was safe and I was loved. Wanting to memorialize and share this moment, I snapped a few photos of my daughter and myself and sent it to my mom. I texted the following, “We’re having a special tea party with the tea pot you gave me!” She responded with, “This brought happy tears to my eyes! Tea parties are a blessed memory! It would be snowy and cold. We would get up with our Bibles and notebooks and do our devotions together. Tea or hot chocolate, and the warmth of togetherness made our house our fortress, our castle. Time stood still for a few moments.” As I read her words, I could hear her saying it to me. My mother loved creating special moments for myself and my siblings. She could turn any ordinary moment into an extraordinary one. She is resourceful and creative. She has the unique ability of making your desires a reality. She does this simply by deciding it will be. From her I’ve learned that the world you want can be created simply by deciding it is reality. Believe it will be, and it will be.
Often times I feel as if we forget we have a choice in the life we live. We have the power to create our reality. And we also have the power to destroy it. Spring is the best time to reflect on this power we possess. In the spring the weather warms, and the plants begin to bloom. New life is everywhere you look. The world is bursting with bright pops of life. It’s waking from its winter slumber. This spring I want to challenge you and myself to think of ourselves as plants. How are you growing? How are you changing into a healthy, vibrant flower? You have what you need inside of you. Allow your color to shine. Embrace your growth journey. And just like any healthy plant, push through the dirt. Remember that all go through dirt. The dirt, although messy is not something to be avoided. Rather it is something you can take from. The dirt possesses vital nutrients to your growth. Take from it. Learn from it. This dirt eventually will be what you are grounded in. As you do this you will grow stronger and taller as you follow the light from above. The rays of sunshine will guide you to the surface. A year ago I wrote the following in reflection of spring flowers, and I think it fits well here. “Regardless of the dirt we go through, we’ll eventually break to the other side. We’ll push upward towards the surface to find the light. We’ll stand tall and we’ll let our true colors shine.” Our time on this earth is short. The opportunity to grow is now. Take in this moment. Allow yourself to embrace your starting point and remember that although your story will one day be just that, a story the world around you will be a better place because you gave yourself permission to be exactly who and what you are. When your true self shines, the world becomes a brighter place for all of us.
Looking for a fun spring craft to do with your children? Below is how we turned four pipe cleaners into a lovely spring flower.
Pipe Cleaner Flowers
What you will need:
- 1 green pipe cleaner
- 3 spring colored pipe cleaners
Instructions:
- Begin by folding every pipe cleaner in half. The green pipe cleaner will be your stem for the flower. For this example, I used purple pipe cleaners as the petals to the flower. Hold the flower so that the purple pieces are pointing up. Twist the green pipe cleaner around itself once to pinch everything in the center. Point one of the green stems facing down as the stem and the other to the side. Choose one purple piece and roll it into a spiral. Start by bending the tip, then wind it around until it is next to the stem. Repeat with each purple piece until all the petals are rolled. Pinch and adjust the flower petals until you’re happy with how they look. Have them overlap or pinch them close together. Take the other green piece that’s still sticking out and wrap it around the stem. Start with a wide spiral and bend it smaller to create a cone shape just beneath the flower petals.
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