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October 2009 
rabbit rabbit.
Posted on May 1st, 2008
by 
Siona
Siona
It's the first of the month, and I remembered this morning (at about 3 am; don't ask) to whisper 'rabbit rabbit' as a gentle spell to bless the month, and me. That childhood ritual feels even more appropriate for May--this month of fertility and spring.
It's funny, becuase I was thinking about rabbits, or one rabbit in particular, just yesterday. Most people are familiar with white rabbits and rabbit holes, and I can't help but feel that Gaia is full of those who've followed the former down the latter. (Why else would you end up in this community, if not for a gleeful curiosity about the possibilities that might lie just beyond everyday reality, or the potentials latent in playing lightly with one's beliefs?)
The rabbit I've taken to following, though, isn't white.
One of the things I've been working hard at is making sure I'm speaking from my heart. It's so dearly important to me, in the world of relationships and family and work, and in this culture of confusion and surface and distraction, that I grant others the respect of connecting from my authentic self, no matter how scary it might be or how vulnerable I might feel. And so at night, sometimes (beneath the rabbit in the moon), and in the evenings, when I have time to sit a little and think, I come up again the koan-like question about who or what that authentic self is.
I want to be real, I thought last night. I want to remember, always, to be real. But how? And what does that mean?
And I remembered another rabbit. I remembered the velveteen version of that old childhood story. Remember this?
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
Oh. Of course.
o
It's the first of May, and it snowed here this morning. Colorado is crazy and wonderful.
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I love love love this post, and love that quote - years ago I used to carry around a piece of paper with the whole quote, the parts about eyes being rubbed off and what happens in the course of becoming real, around in my pockets. Thanks for the reminder and for becoming real and for being here.
And purple carrots are real! I wonder if rabbits like them! Real is something that happens to you. Meaning it's a journey. Like happiness, you can't chase after it. Happiness is already there waiting for us to sit still long enough to see it! Real is probably already there also and the people who are closest to us see our real selves very clearly. What you seem to be longing for, Siona, is that those of us who don't see you clearly, aren't close enough to use all of our senses to test the authenticity of 'Siona' will be able to know just how real you are as a person and how you care so very much about each and every one of us. I believe that even though all of our senses can't be used to judge the realness of Siona, those of us who have had some dealings with you thru Gaia are pretty certain that you don't get any more real then you!
If you aren't real then I guess that the worst thing that happens is that each person contacting you thru Gaia gets a great big Siona welcome, feels like this Siona really cares about the answer she gives and the way she gives it, and comes away feeling like a million bucks! Nothing sucks about that!
You called my your little Swizzle Stick… I will never forget how wonderful that made me feel! If you get anymore real then you might hurt someone! ~giggle~
I love you~ not just to play with~
amber Smilemaker
That's so very beautiful! Thanks for sharing,Siona. :)
Honored to be learning with you, here…
Namaste
When I was a kid I cried a lot reading Velveteen Rabbit, its such a good story. This thread made me want to look it up.
So if this makes anyone want to read it again,
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html
I've posted a link to this in my blog on 4 Cs of community.
I'd say this takes them all.Alli, thanks for that link.
Siona thank you for bringing this back. I love reading the story finding it again somewhere and finding new children to read it to.
This made me all teary-eyed. I read the Velveteen Rabbit to my daughters a zillion and one times. That and Alice in Wonderland and Robert Munsch’s beautiful tear-jerker Love You Forever were their favorites, but Rabbit was at the top of the list. Both my daughters still quote my favorite lines to me:
“Real isn't how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.”
At some point I became real, and I'm sure it was because I had and have the love of my wonderful daughters.Beautiful
Thank you Siona.