Rabbit and Bear sit together on a glowing crescent moon, high above a twilight forest. Stars sparkle in the night sky around them. Below, silhouetted trees stretch toward the horizon, where the deep blues of night meet the soft golds of dusk.
The dialogue reads:
"When we die," asked Rabbit, "where do we go?"
"Into the hearts of those who have loved us most," said Bear. "That way we're together forever."
© Tara Shannon
✨️
This is my original illustration (and dialogue) of Rabbit and Bear.
The background was first drawn in 2020. On February 26, 2021, I added the words you see here. And when my beloved Anouk passed on February 28, 2021, I added the small paw print in the lower right corner.
Anouk was a golden retriever/husky mix, rescued—alongside her brother Chimo—by my parents and me from an organization in Northern Quebec. After my parents passed away, I brought them home to live with me. We shared many adventures.
Chimo passed in 2014 from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, the same cancer that took my mum the year before. He was just 10. It felt far too soon.
Anouk lived a long and happy life, especially for a big dog—she made it to 16. I’m so grateful for all the years we had. But losing her felt like reopening every wound. Grief came rushing back. She had been with me through everything—my miscarriage, my father’s passing, my first cancer diagnosis, my mum’s death, selling their home, moving house (twice), and the uncertainty of the pandemic. Losing her felt like losing all of them… and going through it all over again.
That’s the story behind this image and these words.
Please don’t take that from me.
Lately, this artwork—and the message within it—has been shared far and wide in unauthorized reproductions. My name removed, the characters redrawn, and my words used without credit. It’s disheartening to see something born from such personal love and loss repurposed without permission.
So I’m sharing the original here. The one that came from my heart.
Please help me by sharing this version.
Far and wide.
Let the true story of these characters—and their message—travel with care, honesty, and kindness.
Thank you for supporting original art and the artists behind it.
With love,
Tara 🐇🐻❄️❤️✨
I'm going to re-post your works on Facebook until they give you the treatment you deserve. Here's what I wrote today in explanation: Tara Shannon is an extremely gifted artist who against her permission has frequently been plagarized. That's the reason she's written the post. She's recently been through another fight with cancer. Compounding her woes, for some reason Facebook is now blocking her. You may see a few of her posts that have already been accepted or you may not. So since I can see her on Substack, I'll re-post her work here.
This one means so much to me since I lost my dear sister, my best friend, in December to cancer. I believe she crossed the rainbow bridge and met with our Dad, dogs and chickens and other pets, and they welcomed her. Then my Mom followed in February. Your message is true - they all live within me. Thank you. 💖