BEAR & RABBIT HUGS ~Collection

“Sometimes,” said Bear, “a hug feels like it’s mending all your broken pieces back together again.”

©Tara Shannon, 2022

“Memories don’t always last…” said Rabbit, “and it’s so hard to watch my loved ones forget…”

“Memories do sometimes fade, or seem lost or muddled, it’s true,” said Bear, “but your memories remain… And when you share them… the stories, the music, the momentos and the feelings… you might be helping to create a path for your loved ones to find you again for a time, brief though it may be.

But even if they don’t, they will still feel the love and kindness you give to them when you’re together, and that matters most of all.”

©Tara Shannon

“Never forget,“ said Bear, "despite your fears, your sadness and your uncertainties… you kept going.”

©Tara Shannon, 2022

“Make a wish,” said Bear.

“It’s just a weed,” said Rabbit, “It doesn’t grant wishes.”

“Who says it’s just a weed?” asked Bear.

“Everyone.,” replied Rabbit.

“If everyone said you were something that you are not, would it be true?” asked Bear.

“No,” said Rabbit.

“Well then, is it possible that a dandelion can be more than just a weed?” asked Bear.

Rabbit thought about this while looking closer at the plant. It was intricate and lovely, with shades of buttery yellow when in full bloom that faded into soft white before dispersing on the breeze like a kind of snow.

“Maybe I was wrong,” said Rabbit.

“I think you might be right,” said Bear.

©Tara Shannon

“What’s empathy?” asked Rabbit. 

“It’s the ability to meet someone— anyone — at a point in their journey, with understanding,” said Bear… “All the while keeping in mind that we can never really know what it’s like to be someone else.”

(T. Shannon)

"My life is so boring and ordinary." said Rabbit.

"How so?" asked Bear.

"It's the same thing every day."

"... You mean you wake up and see the sun rise, eat some clover, watch the birds and butterflies fly about, and fall asleep beneath the moon and stars?" asked Bear.

"Yes." said Rabbit.

"That sounds like no ordinary magic to me." said Bear.

©Tara Shannon

“I came back to find you.” said Rabbit, to their younger self. “Everything is going to be okay. You think it’s all your fault... but it’s not.”

©Tara Shannon

“What if my wish never comes true?” asked Rabbit.

“Don't worry yourself about that.” said Bear. “Make yourself so busy with life that you forget about it.”

“What's the point of making a wish then?” asked Rabbit.

“Because a wish can bring a sense of hope to a difficult time.” said Bear. “By saying your wish out loud or with conviction in your heart, you’re giving it life. And while you're out there living, your wish is there, conspiring in the background to come true.”

“But what if it still doesn’t come true?” Rabbit asked again.

“Well,” said Bear, “hopefully a long time from now you'll remember your wish and trace its journey through all your life's experiences; the ups and downs, the places you went, the people you met and how you grew. In the end maybe you’ll discover that that exact wish didn’t come true...”

“That’s sad to think about.” Rabbit interrupted.

“Is it?” asked Bear. “What if that wish was just the start of a journey to something even better? To destinations and possibilities, you never could have imagined? Life isn’t a straight path; it has many twists and turns and side journeys. While that exact wish might not come true, many others might in its place, bringing you right where you’re meant to be.”

©Tara Shannon

“There’s an ache you feel in your heart,” said Bear, “when you lose someone you have truly loved…”

“It feels like the ground beneath you has fallen away.” said Rabbit.

“Yes,” said Bear, “it feels just like that.”

©Tara Shannon, 2022

"There's nothing like the pain of being misunderstood." said Rabbit. "...That feeling when no matter what you say, your voice will not be heard, simply because hearts have hardened to it and refuse to hear it."

"And then to carry on despite that." said Bear. "That takes great strength, and courage."

"But it still hurts." said Rabbit.

"Of course it does. That's because your heart is not hard... try to keep it that way." said Bear. "Keep your heart soft in this world full of so much pain.

You never know who you might save because of it."

©Tara Shannon

"We often look at clouds, hoping that they'll soon pass," said Bear, "and they will... but before they do, watch them."

"Why?" asked Rabbit.

"Because like everything in nature, in life, they have a story to tell." said Bear. "Stories that are being forgotten."

"Like what?" asked Rabbit.

"The ever changing story of the earth and sky." said Bear. "They reveal their expressions and moods and predict the future."

"Magic..." said Rabbit.

"Yes." said Bear.

"...and when there are no clouds in the sky?" asked Rabbit.

"Look to the sun, moon and stars." said Bear.

"...and if one looks like a balloon?' asked Rabbit.

"Grab hold of its string," said Bear, "and let your imagination soar."

©Tara Shannon

Barefoot on fresh cut grass, early in the morning.

The dew glistening like diamonds as far as the eyes can see.

A symphony of crickets and a cacophony of birds greet this slow but steady new day.

There's beauty and hope on the warm breeze -- can you feel it?

Can you taste the memories that begin to flow?

Taking you back to a time that,

though now faded by the sun,

was perfect

and timeless;

seemingly endless.

You wish that you could go back.

But you can't.

So, soak it in -- the sun, the scent of the grass, the crickets and the birds and the dew on your feet.

It's medicine and it's magic.

And ever so dreamily you begin to wonder if they can be bottled and stored?

No, not really... but you can write them down,

these thoughts and feelings and memories that clamor at the garden gate of your mind

Hurry though and capture them

before they're gone.

They're galloping toward the fields at the back of the house.

Ready to launch and soar away into the afternoon sky.

Gone again for another day,

when your memories and senses may offer up something new

and possibly not quite so sweet.

***

"What are you going to do if you catch one?" asked Bear.

"Ask it how much darkness it had to go through before it was able to shine so bright." said Rabbit.

©Tara Shannon, 2020

#rabbitandbear #stars #memories #life #magic

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