Tonight, Rachel invited us to dinner for Coq au vin. We always have wonderful talks while there, the kids get along great, and she has a piano I get to play! Rachel was very gracious with us tonight, because we had a baby bunny that Monty discovered wasn't doing well. He'd gotten chilled during the bad weather today, and Monty had Jessica holding him to warm him and get him back up to par. They were giving him sugar water, and taking turns holding him. We all sat down to dinner, and Jessica had the bunny in her lap. She had decided that she'd keep this one as her indoor pet, and she'd worked out how to get it litter box trained, how it would live in her bedroom, she had it named "Flop" and she was instantly in love.
We visited for a while, and gathered around the piano for conversation and quiet playing. Jessie and her dad took turns with the bunny so she could play a bit, too. Then we sat down to dinner. The Coq au vin was WONDERFUL, the asparagus divine, and the fingerling potatoes were perfect. We were eating and laughing and enjoying ourselves, and I looked over at the bunny beside me. No nose twitching, no breathing - he was gone. Jessica was (understandably) overcome with emotion, and she and her daddy went outside. Rachel followed and got a shovel, and Dad and daughter solemnly said goodbye to Flop in Rachel's flowerbed.
Everyone came back to the table and the conversation slowly started back and worked its way back to laughter. It's interesting how this farm life helps you value and enjoy the little lives of the creatures we enjoy so much, and how it teaches you about things passing away. I know Jessica isn't "over it" and won't be for some time. I also know she grew a little bit today, and she was willing to put in lots of extra time and effort to save this baby. That is such a lesson in denying self, and this bunny was a lesson in taking a risk to love. It is beautiful.
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