"Memories are magic." said Bear.
This gentle sketch of Rabbit and Bear was created for a silent auction to support the American Children’s Cancer Organization. I had the privilege of speaking with the winner to better understand what they were hoping to see expressed in their original piece. We talked about loss, about love that doesn’t disappear, and about how memory becomes the place where we meet those we’ve loved.
I always say that the best Rabbit & Bear dialogues come from my heart—and this one did. I created it in 2020, drawn from my own experiences with grief and remembering. It later became part of my second book, Rabbit & Bear Return with the Light.
As I share this again today—a day after my birthday—I feel it deeply. Time has moved on. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles… they’re no longer here. But they were. And that matters.
Memories are proof of love. They are the place where we can return to hold hands with the past. That is magic. ❤️
Image dialogue:
"Memories are magic." said Bear.
"I think they're sad," said Rabbit. "How can something sad be magic?"
"Not all memories are sad. Some are happy and full of love," replied Bear.
"But they're still memories. They're gone, and that's sad," said Rabbit.
"Sad is if they never existed," said Bear. "Memories are proof that those we've loved existed. We can make them appear whenever we need them. That's magic."
© Tara Shannon, 2020 🐇🐻❄️❤️✨️
(*Not available as a print, but included in my second book: Rabbit & Bear Return with the Light.)
Beautiful so well stated. I enjoy you posts and drawings so much! Thank you!
Thank you so much.