Eva

As I sit in my office most every day, doing the required, but often times mundane tasks set before me, I occasionally pause to reflect on life. Like most people, I have worries and problems that, at that moment, seem huge. But then I glance across the room and observe my little friend. A smile comes to my face, and I realize that my troubles are not so huge and that in reality I am truly blessed. My little friend is a great comfort to me, and she gives me much more than I can ever give her in return.

My little friend’s name is Eva, and she sits quietly on her soft blanket munching on her hay, occasionally moving a bit, although her travels are limited by her condition. Over time I have come to love her, and I am inspired each time I look at her and reflect on what she has been through. Her story is one of redemption, the will to endure, and to survive at all costs. It is a lesson for each of us to take to heart.

Eva is a rabbit, perhaps one of God's most gentle creatures, who suffered some of life's worst cruelties. The story that unfolds is not a happy one, but please know that in the end it gets better.

Some time back one of Eva’s legs was cruelly ripped off, perhaps by a dog or a predator. No one knows for sure. Her owner, not the most upstanding of characters, apparently decided that she was no longer a desirable pet and left her, in excruciating pain, in the dark, in an abandoned apartment. She was confined for weeks in a small cage and forced to lie in her own waste. Her leg developed gangrene, and she was in utter agony. Her body, especially her face, became covered in fleas. The fleas were eating her alive, and getting their moisture from her eyes. Her ears were full of mites and other insects, and if she had any food or water, it was long gone by the time she was discovered and rescued.

The owner’s landlord, not having received rent for a while, went to investigate and found Eva alone and near death. A rabbit rescue was called and Eva was scooped up and rushed to a Vet for treatment. Several months went by, and Eva was slowly brought back to life. Antibiotics were given, the fleas were removed, her leg injury was allowed to heal and she was given, perhaps for the first time in her life, nutritious food.

I am associated with the rescue and I became intimately involved with her. As time went by, I could not help but be inspired by her indomitable will to live. She struggled each and every day to get better. And despite her considerable injuries, some of which will never heal, she did improve greatly. Throughout this process I bonded with her, and I decided to give her a permanent place in my life. It is a decision I have never regretted.

As I look each day at Eva my thoughts occasionally reflect on an autobiographical book I once read called Papillon, and I marvel at the similarities. Papillon is the nick name of a man who suffered horribly in the French penal colony of French Guiana many years back, and who later escaped to tell his tale. His story inspired many throughout the world and brought about needed change.

Much like the person in this novel, Eva also endured great suffering, yet escaped and survived. Perhaps her story, in a small way, might inspire others to treat animals a little better. I smile a bit, and ponder that thought, as I meander through my day.