"There is time for everything
and every thing it its time." - E. Aster Bunnymund
"Mama, it's hard for rabbits to hide all those eggs", he said clutching a love-worn plush bunny. "Flop", is his given name. The brown hare arrived in his Easter basket when he was just a babe and has been his steadfast sleeping companion ever since.
I too had a prized plushy as a child, and it was also a rabbit. He had long satin ears, the color of sky, and a white fur body. Today, a vegetarian, I cringe at the thought of a real rabbit fur plushy, but as a wee girl I carried him with me everywhere and often by his ears. Then one day I accidentally dropped him in the toilet. The bunny was rescued and washed which rendered him misshapen and matted. The only recognizable features were his ears. I was inconsolable. So, my parents searched high and low for another. Unable to find a twin, they found a plush kitten made of rabbit fur that was a very close match. Unbeknownst to me they performed and ear-ectomy on the rabbit and transplanted them onto the kitten.
When they presented him to me, it was as though they had performed some sort of magic. I could not tell the difference. Except for one thing. I buried my nose in the fur. It had a scent. I will never forget that scent! A heavenly scent, woodsy and wild. The bunny had been my sleeping companion for some uncountable years. I don't remember when my rabbit left. One day he just disappeared as mysteriously as he arrived.
Time passed as time inevitably does.
I was 30 years old, living in New York City, and having the kind of adventures that grown-ups have. I celebrated this pinnacle birthday with a sunset to sunrise party on the roof of my flat in Greenwich Village. After the festivities, when everything settled into its ordinary rhythm, I received a visitor. A friend came bearing a birthday gift. He placed in my hands an adorable white and tan kitten with eyes the color of sky. "Elvis" was his given name and I buried my face in his fur and kissed him. The kitty was my steadfast sleeping companion for the next 18 years of my life.
It is said that olfactory memory was developed during evolution to help animals recognize other animals. Herein lies one of the truest truths that nestles in my heart. You see, I had forgotten about my childhood bunny until my 30th birthday, until the moment I kissed my kitten. He smelled familiar. He did not smell like my other cat, Sid. He smelled unlike any other animal I had ever known. I sniffed again and suddenly that unforgettable scent released all the memories of my childhood rabbit in vivid detail. I couldn't believe it. He smelled exactly like my rabbit. I looked into his sky blue eyes astonished and breathed in the scent of him again and again. Time passed as time inevitably does and
Elvis disappeared from my life as mysteriously as he arrived...
and every Easter the cottontail delivers delightful treats to my boy- and a basket of sweet memories to my heart.
"Mama, can we get another cat?"
"One day."
"When...what kind?"
"Every thing in its time...I will know him when I smell him".
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| Hidden |
 |
| Found |
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| In his basket were tiny gifts all wrapped in grassy hued tissue paper: a bunny kaleidoscope, a balloon copter, an aquatic sandwich shaper, Satch-centric vintage hankies for his Spring allergies, a mushroom pencil sharpener eraser combo, and a carved wooden bunny pen! |
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| His parental units equipped him to shoot for the moon. |
Labels: easter, felidae
