Monday, March 09, 2009

A Bit of Trivia

As someone who is utterly obsessed with time, I can’t help seeing in the ever increasing signs of impending spring not just a reason for rejoice at nature’s rebirth but also a cause of reflection and melancholy at life’s passing. For, you see, the flowers, and the birds, and the bees that bring joy to our hearts are not the same, although they might appear to be, and we certainly are not – we are one winter older… Oh, how I wish I could regain, if only for a singular moment, a pair of child’s eyes through which to see the world.



Paradoxically, I feel at the same time paralysed and restless, and thus I’m not able to do much, if anything. If I write at one of my stories, I can’t master any discipline and jump from one scene to another in an almost random manner. If I read blogs, I often don’t have the patience to write a comment. Please, bear with me… I’m still here.

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Among other books (I always read several at a time), I’m reading one, which I will not name, that amazes me with the negligence of the writing. It’s too bad because the idea of the story is very interesting and it could’ve been a good book. How is it, I wonder, that such books are published to the detriment of other, much better works?

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I’m quite worried about my older daughter who, more than a month after the gastro-intestinal virus that had hit all of us, is still accusing permanent nausea and stomach pain. The doctors have still to find a cause and a remedy for this. But the nervous energy involved is tremendous and debilitating.

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On a lighter note, about three weeks ago, my younger daughter and I found a domestic rabbit in the parking lot of her day care. A white California baby bunny who we only noticed because it hopped around among the huge snow mounds. I was very worried about it and wanted to catch it and take it home, only hesitating at the thought of an even more worried owner looking for it. I alerted the good people at the day care and they too showed a lot of concern, the directress especially, a very nice and caring woman. So they caught it the next day (the poor thing had spent the night outside in the freezing cold) and somebody from the day care took it home for a few days. They put ads everywhere hoping they would find the owner but no one came.

My daughter and I wanted her very much and the directress also wanted her very much (it turns out it’s a girl), but after those few days we took her home because that’s how it was decided in the beginning. (Children are so bizarre or so wise… Next to my older daughter’s school, there is a cemetery, hardly noticeable among the lush park-like vegetation. I had no idea my youngest knew what the place was until she told me, with complete serenity, “When the rabbit dies, we’ll bury her here.” I was speechless, I, who don’t want pets because I’m afraid of the pain at their loss, I who cried when a fish died, or a water snail...)

What a sweet, sweet, sweet bunny! We couldn’t keep her. I wish we could’ve kept her! We’ve only had her for three days and I already missed her when we gave her to the directress. Unfortunately, we don’t have a room at home that we could dedicate to her, and to supervise her continuously while she was out of her cage would have meant the end of my already diminutive spare time. But the directress and her daughter wanted to get a rabbit anyway so this one came to them just in time.

She’s doing very well and we are being given updates on her well-being and on her exploits, and very cute pictures, of which I share this one with you…

25 comments:

Karen said...

Vesper - I'm so sorry about your daughter's continuing illness. This winter has taken a toll on many of us. I, too, feel older...I'm hoping the sunshine will rejuvenate me a bit.

I have a rabbit story - funny, but not, that I'm going to put on my blog at Easter time. I try to tell it in a funny way, but, well, suffice it to say that I don't do animals anymore. :-(

Hope things will look and feel up for you.

Lisa said...

What a lucky rabbit! I can't tell you how much the restlessness/paralysis sentiment resonates with me. I suppose if I weren't so restless, I could explain it :)

the walking man said...

Vesper...Aging ain't so bad, hell, I want to age right out of this place and when I do as it is with the passing of each season, I will have no regrets at what I've seen or done.

I have yet to find a way to care or fear nature and the way of its processes.

Catherine Vibert said...

Vesper, my son used to complain of stomach pain, and still occasionally does. Sometimes kids adopt that as a reaction when they are stressed, I hope she will get over it. It is not a fun thing for her or you. We also used to have a bunny! But you did the right thing, they are difficult as pets, sweet as they are. I'm glad he has a good home. As for you, I know what you mean. Spring is a comin' and I'll bet as it hops into gear, focusing on blogs and writing is going to be near impossible. At least for me it will, because I'm going to want to be out there! Already the birds are making mating calls and I have all the windows open and a burgeoning new romance has just appeared in my life to welcome in this long awaited Spring. Blogging and writing? Hmmmm...what is more important here?

Aniket Thakkar said...

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter's illness and wish she gets better soon.

And the Bunny is really a cutie. :-D I once got a pup from the road to home and wanted to keep it, but mom didn't allow.

According to her, I was enough to make enough noise to keep her awake and too much dump for her to clean. :) Sigh... Moms!!! :-D :-D

BernardL said...

We do see through a child's eyes with our own offspring, Vesper. I bet your daughter had more than the burial comment concerning the bunny. I hope they find out what part of that debilitating flu is still bothering your oldest. Everyone we knew caught the thing down here too.

When people describe life as a string of peaks and valleys they aren't kidding. In my day job some mornings I feel like I could fix the Space Shuttle and other days I feel like I couldn't fix a broken string. :)

Aine said...

We had a weird gastrointestinal virus going around this winter, too. My oldest daughter missed an entire week of school for unexplained nausea and stomach pain. Thankfully, it passed though. And our youngest may turn out to be a "strep carrier"-- ugh! I hope your daughter feels better soon!

The bunny is beautiful! I'm so glad she was spotted. If she had hid somewhere... well, suffice it to say that I am so glad she has a home! :) Again, a parallel in our lives as we were adopted by a cat this winter.

And, I spent the entire month of February "cocooning" (as I like to call it). Drained of energy and introverting to an unhealthy level.
:P

I guess my point is that you aren't alone... (and I love that buzzing bee!)
:)

RachelW said...

Wonderful, wonderful rabbit story!! We currently have 4 rescue rabbits at my house, and I've picked up several others in the past that people have "set free", and rehomed them... they are charmed beings. I love stories like yours.

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter still not feeling well. Does seem there are a lot of things lingering on these days.

I always read several books at once myself.

Marilyn Brant said...

When a child is sick, there's no way a parent's world ever feels right until good health returns. I'm so sorry to hear about your elder daughter's illness, Vesper. I wish the doctors wisdom in figuring out how best to treat it, and I wish her a very speedy recovery.

Adorable bunny :).

Miladysa said...

Sorry to hear about your daughter. I hope she is much better today!

My little girl went back to school for the first time today in nearly three weeks. These winter bugs are horrid!

Thinking of you and sending hugs and get well wishes your way.

M x

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

Dear Vesper, I, too, along with everyone else, hope that your daughter will feel better in no time. I work in an elementary school. The past month has seen so many weird illnesses - high fevers, dry coughs, stomach pains, etc. I'm sure she will rebound soon. The viruses have been wicked!

The bunny is so adorable! I know it was hard for you all to give her up. But, you and your kids were there when she needed you the most. You gave her a good home and love when it counted. I am sure it saved her in many ways.

I know things will get better for you. The robins returned here yesterday and along with them their cheery song of the promise of spring.

What a sweet little bee!

You will be in my thoughts. xo

laughingwolf said...

hope they find what's keeping her ill, v :(

good wishes, prayers and all the positive energies i can muster i speed for her full recovery...

as for critters, yeah... in some ways i'm still a pussycat when they're hurt or dying

at least you can still enjoy the bunny's progress....

L.A. Mitchell said...

Vesper...
Awww..what an adorable bunny. I'm so pleased she came to you to remind you of the good things, too. Sometimes it's hard to see them for all of life's struggles. I wish your daughter a speedy recovery and many positive thoughts your way :)

Rick said...

Hello Vesper. I very much hope that your daughter is now well. Bunnies have a special healing magic for children of all ages.
PS, you still have so much of child-like freshness in your work that comes through!

Akasha Savage. said...

Hi Vesper...I loved all your trivia. Hope your daughter feels better soon, it's so worrying when our children are under the weather; that's what ages us! :D

Anonymous said...

That's great of you to save the bunny. Sorry you couldn't keep her.

Love that drawing in this post!

Paul

Vesper said...

Karen, thank you. Yeah, this winter was too harsh and too long. Lookimng forward to reading your rabbit story. :-)

Lisa, yes, a very lucky rabbit. I dread to think how many of animals who are abandoned do not have this luck.

Oh, Mark, I don’t think anything will ever make me accept aging with your serenity… You want to age out of this place – what if there’s only into nothingness?

Cat, I suspect it’s both a sensitivity left behind by the virus and a reaction to stress, to the anxiety created by that illness.
There’s spring in the air, you’re right. Iwas surprised to hear birds singing very early in the morning, even at 14 F…

Aniket, thank you. Moms! - I know… :-) You know, I’ve always wanted a dog, or a cat, or a rabbit and my parents never agreed to get me one. So I had that in mind and really wanted to get this rabbit for my daughters. But at this point in my life I’m overwhelmed with tasks of all kinds – supervising that rabbit would’ve just been too much… (I don’t have the heart to keep an animal in cage. I have a bird – she’s free the whole day…)

Bernard, yes, my daughter liked the bunny very, very much. She petted her all the time while we had her, she talked continuously about her after we found her… You’re right, we do get to see the world through our children’s eyes… it’s wonderful!

Thank you, Aine! It’s so comforting to know that I’m not alone. Yes, I’m very glad about the bunny. I thought about your cat – but you kept it… I wish I could’ve kept the bunny! I miss her soft sweetness… :-)

Rachel, I’m always glad when I hear that people care about these innocent animals. Four rabbits at your house! Wow! That’s extremely nice! :-)

Charles, thank you! Strange, yes… One of the things lingering in this part of the world is winter… :-)

Thank you, Marilyn, you’re so right! I’m worried and I feel helpless…

Thank you, Miladysa. I’m sorry to hear that your little girl was sick too! I’m glad she’s well now. Many hugs and good thoughts to you. :-)

Kaye, thank you so much. And thank you for your very kind words of encouragement. :-) My youngest does amazing drawings. Xoxoxo

LW, thank you for your good thoughts! I was reading about rabbits when I was getting ready to take this one home. An interesting thing is that, because they are prey animals, they hide their illnesses and sometimes it could be too late when you find out they are sick. I remember the last days of my sick budgie, when the big lump that had grown on her belly prevented her from doing her needs normally. The vet couldn’t attempt surgery on such a small being. And still she was happy, and talkative…

You’re right, L.A.. And I know you have cats… :-) Thank you for your good wishes!

Hello, Rick, it’s so good to see you back! And thank you – on both counts! :-)
I feel that in many ways I haven’t changed on the inside…

Hi, Akasha, thank you and thank you! :-) We’re doing our best, but when a child’s sick it’s so difficult…

Paul, yeah, I was happy we could save her. I’m glad you like the drawing. Maybe I should put more on the blog – she’s producing them at an ever increasing rate… :-)

the walking man said...

Vesper...My friend, if there is only nothingness beyond this life of bone and flesh then I will have spent my time here dreaming nothing into something. If there is nothing, then I will gladly accept nothingness as the end result of life on the planet.

SzélsőFa said...

I'm sending my good wishes to your daughter, Vesper.
As for spring. I'm feeling restless, too.
Time passes and new things emerge. We are to take as much of them as possible. Some of them are too much of an impact, though....
But you are invited to a little playalong at my CopperMoon site :)
Paul, the smiling struggler and Charles, whom I often call the old faithful have also contributed their version :)

Jon M said...

Cute rabbit! We had two sometime ago. Guinea pigs are more fun. Hope your daughter is feeling better!

Miladysa said...

Hope everything is well with you and yours Vesper x

Vesper said...

Mark, I so much hope your dreams are true…

Thank you so much, SzélsőFa! Yes, I’ll play along… :-)

Thank you, Jon. It’s interesting what you’re saying about Guinea pigs… :-)

Miladysa, you’re so kind to come back. Thank you! :-) We’ve spent half of the weekend in the emergency room but all the tests came back fine. It seems it’s an after-effect of this gastro, and that she needs to take some medication and to be patient… (our 8-year old to be patient, well, that’s more diffcult…) :-)

Sarah Hina said...

Oh, geez, Vesper, it's a few days after that ER visit, and I hope she's completely well. Patience is one thing, but this has been ridiculous! I really am sorry. I didn't know it was this serious. You must be worried sick, and just plain exhausted. I wish her, and you, all the best for her recovery.

I'm sorry you couldn't keep the bunny. She looked so sweet!

And as someone similarly obsessed with time's passing, I embrace the spring, even while being conscious of its slipping away. And I was just thinking of this today. How wonderfully innocent of time we were as children. How everything would always seem this new. This unspoiled. Including us.

Vesper said...

Sarah, thank you for your concern. Yes, it's very difficult and it's not over yet. The doctors are plain ridiculous.

I'm sorry about the bunny, too. I miss her soft fur, her beautiful eyes. But it would've been just too much extra work for me.

Paradise lost... It makes me happy though when I see it in my children.
xo