Good morning, Seekerville! We've got a fun writing exercise for you this morning... if you dare! A silly story about a rabbit, a request, a job and a career and what will Hillary Hare do when asked to step in for the shiftless Easter rabbit at the last minute?
I've given you a start....
LET'S SEE WHERE IT GOES!
Leave your continuation in the comments and let's have fun with this.... A bit of silliness and crativit5y before the blessed holiness of Holy Week stirs our hearts and lifts our souls.
I give you:
IT HAPPENED ONE EASTER
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
She didn't fill baskets.
#notherjob
She didn't lay eggs.
#seeabove
She didn't hop, hop, hop around people's homes (Seriously? Whose lame, kid-scaring idea was that???) and leave baskets of candy that weighed seven times more than she did with wet fur and by the way, bunny fur doesn't smell good when wet. Just so's you know.
THE ENTIRE CONCEPT WAS RIDICULOUS and she'd have thought humans, with all their book-learning ways would know that. Appreciate it. Recognize it... but NO.
Dense.
Silly.
Goofy.
And didn't they know that bunnies and eggs and plastic grass had literally nothing to do with Easter?
Hillary Hare smoothed the fur down over her eyes, glossed her ears lightly (the wind played havoc with her ears and a little gloss helped keep things in order. A girl had to do what she had to do... Right?)
She kissed the baby bunnies goodbye, checked to make sure that Amelia Bunny Delia had her cell phone number and hurried off to her job at the local Warren View Hospital. She was a bunny-style nurse practitioner, raising a trio of babies because their traveling salesman daddy was, well... traveling. And had been for months.
She was a hospital worker.
Not a basket hider.
And that was that.
OKAY, FOLKS THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF OUR STORY! WHERE IT GOES IS UP TO YOU! HAVE FUN... BE CREATIVE... REMEMBER WE ARE "G-RATED" AND LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS
The first thing Hillary did each morning at work was visit the pediatric ward. She loved giving hope and inspiration to the young bunnies. It really galled her that humans had named baby bunnies 'kittens'! Cats eat rabbits. Sometimes human languages were really stupid. But since all animals understood human talk, Hillary had to go along with it.
ReplyDeleteHillary's favorite little bunny was Bobbie Bunny who was undergoing chemotherapy. The Doctor came over to check on Bobbie and Hillary asked how the youngster was doing.
"Bobbie is doing great. He has a strong will to live and that helps his immune system."
"Yes," Bobbie said with a big bunny smile, "I'm going to be the Easter Bunny one day just like that little boy in Tibet is going to become the Dalai Lama. I have to get better to fulfill my destiny."
The doctor smiled and said to Hillary, "Bobbie is a dreamer. I wish we had more like him on this sad ward."
Hillary stroked her left ear. She wouldn't be the one to destroy Bobbie's dream, not at this point. But when would parents give their bunny children realistic dreams?
ReplyDeleteShe gave Bobbie her brightest smile. "The first thing to do is to become healthy and strong."
Hillary moved on to the next patient. Medical workers weren't supposed to have favorites, but this little girl bunny reminded her of herself as a small bunny.
"Good morning, Megan. How are you feeling today?"
"Awful."
ReplyDeleteThe honesty of Megan's reply rocked Hillary's comfort zone. She stooped low. "What's going on, Sweetums?"
"I miss my mommy."
Hillary swallowed hard. Real hard.
Megan and her mama had been in a tragic accident on East River Boulevard, just south of the hedgerow lining Farmer John's field. Megan and her brother Melvin had been outside playing in the spring twilight. A perfect time to play for bunnies born in the warmth of a southern March, but Melvin had gone too far. Their mama had chased after him, driving him to the opposite side of the road when he ran in fear of motherly retribution.
Their mama- Zuzu Bunny-- hadn't been so fortunate.
Megan had followed her mother. She'd only been clipped by the thrust of the car against her mother's body, but her mother...
Well.
Zuzu had lost her life.
Fortunately, these weren't ordinary rabbits.
Oh, no.
These were Kingsworth Rabbits from the specialized rabbitry on the far side of town where the biological scientist, specializing in cloning, had developed a bunny with not only multiple lives but anti-aging devices preventing the hormonal aging chemicals from their normal production. That meant that Zuzu wouldn't exactly be revived... but she could be recloned with full memory of her babies.
Now that was a trick.
But how could they keep little Megan happy until then? And what about Bobbie? The scientist's work wasn't able to thwart cancer yet, so while Megan would get her Mama back (albeit a younger version) in about ten weeks' time, Bobbie would lose his battle in about the same length of time and there was nothing Hillary or anyone could do about it.
And that saddened her which made her even less likely to accept the silly "Go-Put-Chocolate-In-a-Basket" routine.
Not her.
Not now.
Meanwhile at home, Hillary Hare's three little bunnies knew how stressful things were at work. They asked Amelia Bunny Delia what they could do to make it nice for Mama when she got home.
ReplyDeleteAmelia Bunny Delia gave the three little ones a hug and said, "Let's set our bunny brains to thinking. Your mama is so busy she doesn't have time to celebrate Easter, but she's thinking of Chocolate and colored eggs. Not the beginning of new life through our Savior. That's the kind of Easter Celebration that everyone has time for.
What can we do here while your mama works so hard to remind her of the true meaning of Easter?
"I know," said Bonnie Bunny, the oldest of Hillary Hare's three bunnies. "We can bake hot cross buns. The cross on the top will remind her of Jesus being raised from the dead."
ReplyDeleteThe two littlest bunnies, Barry and Braxton, hopped up and down. "Yes," Barry said. "That is the true meaning of Easter."
"Let's make them now," Braxton said.
Amelia Bunny Delia smiled. "I think that is a wonderful idea. Mama will love it."
Hillary had a long day at the hospital and came home tired and hungry. Her three sweet bunny children greeted her with hugs and lemonade that brought a smile to her lips. The tangy sweet drink revived her energy, and the little ones' enthusiasm as they ushered her into the kitchen made her very curious.
ReplyDelete"What were the bunnies up to?" she murmured under her breath.
The smell of something wonderful hung in the air, and the little bunnies giggled and pushed and shoved each other all the way to the kitchen table.
"There," they said in unison, pointing to the plate of sweet rolls. "We made these special hot cross buns just for you, Mama!"
Tears burned Hillary's eyes. Filled with gratitude, she drew her adorable bunny children close and kissed each of them on their furry cheeks. "I am so blessed to have you as my bunny babies, and the sweet rolls look delicious, but there are two bunnies in the hospital who need our help. As we munch on our hot cross buns, let's think of someway to reach out to those two bunnies in need."
Braxton stomped his foot hard. "But we worked all day, making these for you, Mama. And I wanted to watch Super Bunny Blaster on TV. That's all I ever, ever wanted since I woke up!"
ReplyDelete"Braxton, you're being so selfish." Bonny planted her hands on her tiny bunny hips but she couldn't stay upright for too long. It was hard! So then she flopped back down onto the ground but she aimed a very big sisterly look at her little brother. "Barry's not acting like that. He's being soooooo good."
"That's because he doesn't even know anything about how cool Bunny Blaster stuff is. He's a baby."
Hillary's brows shot up. "Braxton, I love the sweet rolls, and I love you, but there are people who need our help right now. And thinking of ourselves isn't what I expect from you. You're nearly three years old."
Braxton humphed. He sat down. Folded his paws. And then... he fell asleep.
And when he woke up he felt much much better. Not so grumpy at all!
But his mom and his brother and sister were all gone. Amelia Bunny Delia was there, watching him and he felt so very, very sad because they'd gone off to do nice things for sick children without him.
And that made his little bunny heart feel bad.
Braxton wiped the sleep from his eyes and cuddled up to Amelia Bunny Delia.
ReplyDelete"Why didn't Mama wait for me?" It was hard to keep the whine out of his voice.
"She didn't think you wanted to go." Amelia Bunny Delia stroked his head.
Braxton frowned. "But I didn't want to be left, either."
"You mean like one of the little bunnies at the hospital who is missing her mommy so much right now?"
Braxton raised his eyes to his nanny. "Won't she get to see her mommy again?"
"She will, but it won't be for weeks and weeks. Not like you who gets to see your mama every day."
Braxton's little heart broke at the thought of not seeing his mother every night. Despite being three years old, he still enjoyed how she read to him from "Hare-oic Tales and Other Bunny Favorites" each evening before rubbing noses and tucking him in. Who would do that if she were no longer around?
"Could I go to the hospital, too? I want to help Mama do good things for the bunnies there."
"I don't know, Braxton." Amelia Bunny Delia glanced at the clock. "It's getting pretty late, and I don't think it would be safe for just the two of us to talk there by ourselves."
While Braxton and Amelia wondered what to do, Mama, Bonnie and Barry went into the children's hall at the hospital. It was late in the day. Bobby Bunny's chemotherapy treatment was over for the day. Mama sat next to Bobby's bed. She had the book, Be Brave Baby Rabbit in her pink and purple beachy bag. Her two children each went to the bedside, one on each side. They each took one of Bobby's paws. Bonnie whispered, "My name is Bonnie. This is my favorite book ever. I'm sorry you're sick. It's hard to be brave but this book helps me when I'm having a hard time.
ReplyDeleteMama will read while Barry and I pray for you. We'll pray for you to be brave, to get well, and to get home to your own family."
"It's hard to be brave, especially at night. Thank you." Bobby's eyes brimmed with tears but he didn't let them fall. He gripped their hands tight and gave Mama a trembling smile.
I'd love it if you read to me, Nurse Hillary. Thank you."
Hillary opened the book and began to read.
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ReplyDeleteAs Hillary was reading Bobbie a story, she marveled at the intelligence that gleamed in his eyes.
ReplyDeleteWhen the story ended she asked Bobbie a serious question:
"Bobbie, why do you want to be the Easter Bunny? Isn't there someone else you'd rather be?"
"I want to be the Easter Bunny so I can bring the joy of the season and the gift of hope to all creatures -- both great and small. This even includes, by the way, the sick little bunnies on this very ward who are not Christians. Is it so bad if we find a way to share the glory we experience with others not of our faith? I believe that the Easter Bunny can be a gateway into the truth by shinning a light on the path to everlasting life."
And that's when Mama saw finally a light she'd let dim in her own life.
ReplyDeleteAs she struggled to make sure her own children knew the true meaning of Easter, and nearly bent under the weight of the sick children she cared for so deeply, she remembered something so very important.
Bobbie, here you lie, going through so many hard medical treatments but still you've remembered that God's greatest love for us, is for our souls. In this life he watches us and nurtures that golden glow of light within us, whether we are sick or well, happy or sad, strong or weak, old or young. It's our souls that God sees and longs for.
He loves us all so much and longs for us to be in a soul deep relationship with Him. You've reminded me of that, today.
I think you'll make the best Easter Bunny ever.