15/02/2025
Charlie’s story is one of resilience, a reminder that even the most miniature lives can leave the most significant impact. She came into this world fragile, abandoned by her mother on only her 2nd day of life, left to fend for herself in a world that can be both cruel & beautiful. As if fate hadn’t been harsh enough, her two siblings slipped away on the first night, their tiny bodies unable to hold onto the life they had just begun. Charlotte wasn’t alone for long. A nurturing doe, Dream welcomed her into her nest alongside her six babies. Though Charlie had found warmth & companionship, she struggled, her little body refusing to grow. I watched over her, my heart aching each time she failed to nurse properly. I couldn’t give up on her. Dream, my doe, & I raised her with patience, love, and determination. Sometimes, I took her to work, ensuring she stayed warm & fed.
Against all odds, she has blossomed into a beautiful, compact, & thick lilac harle doe! She proves that love, perseverance, & faith can work miracles.
In the little time I have been raising bunnies, I learned that joy & heartbreak walk hand in hand. The sting of loss never fades, & finding a seemingly healthy baby one day, only to wake up to silence the next. The frustration of a first-time mom rejecting her litter, birthing them outside the nestbox where they never stood a chance. Those moments when a little one ventures out of the warmth too soon, I find them lifeless the next day. Each loss leaves a heartbreak.
But amid the sorrow, there is so much beauty. There’s the joy of watching a newborn grow, the warmth of a wiggling pile of babies snuggling close, & the way their tiny noses twitch as they dream. Raising them has become more than a duty. It has been my therapy, comfort, & reminder that life is always worth fighting for.
As a psychiatric provider, bunnies have taught me to process my grief & hold space for sorrow & joy. They have become my spirit animals, healers, & safe place. No matter how often my heart breaks, I will always love them. In their soft, quiet presence, I find the reminder I need most: there is always love, even in loss & struggle. There is always beauty in life. - Merj
