Good Morning Friends,
A couple of months ago, we received the sweetest children’s book in the mail. It is called, The Rabbit Listened. My boys are so obsessed with this book that it is part of our night-time reading routine right now. The timing of the book’s arrival and their obsession could not have been better.
The Rabbit Listened is about a little boy named Taylor who gets his block tower knocked down by a flock of birds. He is devastated by this event. Multiple animals notice what has happened and offer their advice.
The chicken wants to talk about it.
The bear wants to go on a rage fest.
The elephant wants to fix it.
The kangaroo starts cleaning and throwing the mess away.
The hyena offers a good laugh.
The ostrich suggests hiding and pretending nothing happened.
The snake tells Taylor that he should go knock down someone else’s tower.
None of this advice is what Taylor needs. In response, all of the animals leave in a huff.
While Taylor is sitting in his grief, a small Rabbit quietly hops towards him to sit with him. “Please stay,” Taylor asks. That is exactly what the Rabbit does. He stays and listens as Taylor processes his grief. He gets angry, laughs, and thinks about carrying out all of the other animals’ suggestions. Through it all, the Rabbit never leaves. He just listens. When Taylor can think about rebuilding his tower, the Rabbit is the one to rejoice and rebuild with him.
This book has beautiful pictures, and yes, it is a very simple story, but that is not why I am recommending it. There is so much depth contained, especially for someone like me who recently had her “tower” knocked down. Reading this book over and over again has had me reflecting a lot on the people in my life who have been there in the hard moments and how I can be a better friend when others experience everything crashing down.
Something that really strikes me about this story is the intentional language chosen.
When the tower falls, it says, “Out of nowhere, everything came crashing down.” This is exactly how life has felt lately. One minute, we were trudging along, making “smart” plans. Then, “out of nowhere, everything came crashing down.”
When the animals start showing up, it says “noticed”. What a gift it is when someone notices you, notices you are struggling, but the ultimate test of friendship is how they choose to respond. Only the Rabbit acted in a truly helpful way.
Every animal’s suggestion hit a weak spot in me. Yes, I have tried to be angry, to cast blame, and to vent unceasingly. Yes, I have wanted to run away and hide, make a sarcastic joke, and throw everything away (metaphorically). Yes, I have even wanted to rejoice when others are experiencing the same pain. None of those suggestions are helpful. What I needed was people who would sit, listen, and allow me to process my grief, so I could have the strength to stand again and make something new, to allow God to open the door for something better.
In the dark and the silence, I have been given these friends. Like Taylor, I hardly even noticed how wonderful they were (or even that they were there). But these are the friends who are also able to witness the good that God is building in my life now.
I am not the only person with my world crashing down. As I read this book to my boys every night, I thank God for the Rabbits He has placed in my life. I also reflect on how I can be a Rabbit for others.
I am praying for you, Dear Friend. God bless you!
We received The Rabbit Listened through the Imagination Library Program. I am going to link it here, so you can see if it is available in your area. Otherwise, you can purchase the book here. (This is an affiliate link).
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