May 23, 2018
By Sarina Villalpando
Maranatha Community Church in Colton, CA
I’m going to start this article by saying I had serious writer’s block and didn’t know what to write about—so I’m going to write about my bunny. Also a side note, I am writing this in April and sorry to those who don’t like informal writing.
On April 7, 2018, I got a beautiful pet rabbit. For a while now I have wanted to get a pet to be both my best friend and also to be my emotional support animal. By definition an emotional support animal is “a companion animal that a medical professional has determined provides benefit for an individual with a disability. This may include improving at least one characteristic of the disability.” Disabilities range from physical to mental and do not need to be visual for everyone to see—but that the person dealing with them is to know because our opinion and knowledge of ourselves is what matters. My disabilities are in the mental bubble, but I will keep the details to myself.
I decided on a rabbit because they are amazing animals that are sometimes calm, energetic, understanding, and a good companion. Rabbits take the same amount of care and companionship as dogs, but also I believe rabbits can be a friend just the same. Rabbits are extremely smart animals. They can be trained, understand their names and your voice, and if you get close enough, your feelings. They grow amazing bonds with their family/owners when given the time and attention. They are extremely social creatures.
Some may ask, “Well why a rabbit and not a dog?” One, they don’t bark and loud noises are one of my triggers; two, smaller poops; three, less smell/no bath; and four, my dad wouldn’t allow a dog. Just kidding—even though reasons lay within the benefits—I honestly prayed about it. God continually showed me the signs of a need for an emotional support animal, but I wasn’t clear about which animal would be best until a couple months ago. With my struggles within mentality, I have continually used different methods to cope. I run, listen to music, talk to God, scream, and etc, etc. Last year I got a Betta fish and that fish became the light of my life. He was entertaining to watch and just something peaceful, a break from life—but I still felt the need for something else.(My fish is still alive, healthy, loved and appreciated.) I started research on therapy animals, service animals, and emotional support animals and felt that emotional support animals fit my needs and that was what God felt, too. I have always loved petting animals or watching animals because their presence just brings me warmth and happiness. I did know that a dog wasn’t for me because the thought of getting a dog wasn’t working in my favor. It became clear to me that I wanted a rabbit through two different factors. One was that I felt instant happiness whenever petting the rabbits at the local pet store, and that no matter how hard the day felt, petting and seeing the little nuggets brought me more peace and joy than any other animal—but also because I would make trips just to go pet the bunnies. Second factor is that I never got bored when reading/researching about rabbits and that I continually wanted to learn more and more about them. It made me genuinely excited.
Enough about how I got a rabbit, but here is how my rabbit has changed my life in a month. My rabbit is a beautiful princess named “Paisley” and she is three months old. I honestly feel like I have a kid. Paisley has brought immense joy and purpose into my life. She is so full of personality and love. She is stubborn, goofy, lazy, hyper, friendly, loving, adventurous, and most importantly, adorable. Paisley is super silly without even trying and has made me laugh every day since I’ve gotten her. She is very comforting and can tell when I just don’t feel right and will bug me until I smile. I honestly cannot describe in words how amazing she is and how much greatness she brought into my life. She brings me emotional support when needed. When I am extremely anxious, she’ll in some way make contact with me and distract me from it. She gives me a reason to get up in the morning and function through my day. She makes me want to live a better life and work harder because I am living to support both of us. I am so in love with the happiness she brings me. She has made me more structured and organized, but also has helped me live. And for that the only words I can tell you are that she is a decision I will never regret and I am excited to see what God has in store for us.
Finally, I want to make it clear that I am not saying God isn’t enough for me. I in no way want this to be interpreted as that, but God shows everyone love and helps them in different ways. I believe God showed me love and hope through this beautiful creature that makes me smile, laugh, and just feel a purpose every day. My advice to everyone is that God works in mysterious ways. See how He is working in your life. See how He is making your days better. Look to see who or what He has put in your life to make it better. If it hasn’t happened yet, don’t worry; it’ll happen soon because He has its timing.
