What I Learned

From A Little Girl

To the Editor:

It happened like this: Recently, a close friend from the Hartford area, whom I had not seen for several years, agreed to meet me at a Panera midpoint between our homes. The older of her two daughters, Lianna, a high school sophomore, would join us for lunch. A simple enough plan — but it almost didn’t happen. Just before they left their home, they called me to say their pet rabbit looked ill, and was acting strangely enough to warrant an immediate visit to the vet; would I be able to wait a little longer? Of course I would wait — and I’m glad I did. They left the bunny in the capable hands of the hospital staff for a thorough examination.

In the interim, I picked up several large, exquisite sunflowers to honor the special occasion of our luncheon — enough for them to share with the middle school sister, Elena, who had stayed behind with the bunny. It was a lovely, leisurely, lunch filled with nostalgic anecdotes from the past, catching up with the dizzying pace of the present, and expressing high hopes for the future. I mentioned that my two sons, 21 and 17, were still growing as musicians, playing in bands, recording, and performing. Meanwhile, my friend’s young daughters had blossomed into breathtaking beauties, honors’ students, and talented athletes (each a star pitcher on her respective softball team).

With parting hugs, and promises not to wait so long between visits, we drove off in opposite directions. That evening, I received the following email reply to my inquiry about Snugs the bunny: “Yes, the visit was way too short,” my friend began, “but I had a bad feeling about the bunny. We lost him. His heart was malfunctioning and there was nothing to be done. Those beautiful sunflowers you gave us came in handy. Elena laid one on Snugs’ grave in the backyard and she cried and cried … but she dried up long enough to pitch four perfect innings ... She had put some of his fur in her sock!”

Wait! … What was that? I read the note again…twice. Such uncanny wisdom and behavior. This 11-year-old prioritized, skipping a social outing to be with her ailing rabbit. Sadly, he died; but confronted with that reality, Elena took the flower intended for her, and placed it on the grave of her pet (spontaneous, selfless). That she “cried and cried” was both honest and cathartic; yet she regained poise to pitch perfectly — exhibiting an awareness of being part of a greater whole and the ability to focus. Finally, “She put his fur in her sock!” (sentimental, magical)….

I’ve written about lessons I’ve learned from such diverse sources as reading an erudite biography of Albert Einstein to pondering jellybeans in the candy aisle at CVS. And now, an important life lesson in humanity has come from the experience of a kind, loving, and unselfish young girl 50 miles away.

Michael Luzzi

Boggs Hill Road, Newtown                                          August 11, 2010