Life lessons from a beloved rabbit

The article "Lessons on life, love and compassionate leave from a silly old bunny" (in the Feb. 26 edition) reminded me of my family's experience.

I fully understood the writer when she said: "During the last days, my husband and I wept like children over this 1.3-kg creature struggling until her last breath to continue living. ... Her death and the way she lived changed me — changed the way we live, the way we think in ways that are hard to express."

I remember the very sad farewell to our cute black and white rabbit. She had made all of us happy every day, since everything she did was so cute, such as eating food so joyfully, love-filled eyes, running around the room. The behavior I liked best and will never forget was how she stroked each of her two big, long ears with each of her two front paws every morning, standing on her hind legs, so beautifully and elegantly like a young human girl arranging her hair with her hands.

She could read our feelings and loved living with us. However, one day she suddenly became weak. And despite good care by the animal doctor, she finally passed away. We witnessed her last breath. All of us, particularly our children, wept and wept.

It is certain that with this unbearable tragedy, our children began their understanding that every living thing, including humans, has its ending. There is a time for everything. There is a time of farewell.

After this painful goodbye, it is true that I also have more often viewed the present through the lens of the ending. All of my family members came to realize fully the importance, preciousness and joy of living together now. Our rabbit's way of life and death had a huge influence on us. I thank our small rabbit for living with us and giving us this big lesson of life and love. She still lives in our hearts.

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.