There are some moments in childhood that stay with us forever. Sometimes, they aren’t the grand occasions or big celebrations, but the little things—acts of love wrapped in simplicity. For me, one of those memories will always be the day my mom made me a sand bunny.
It was a warm summer day, the kind that makes the sand hot beneath your feet and the waves glisten like tiny diamonds. My mom and I had taken a short trip to the beach, just the two of us. I was around seven years old, with sun-streaked hair and a love for the ocean that had me running in and out of the waves all morning. My mom, always patient and full of laughter, sat on the shore watching me, waving every time I turned back to make sure she was still there.
After what felt like a thousand jumps in the water, I ran back to her, flopping onto the soft sand beside her. “Mom, can you build something for me?” I asked, already digging with my small hands.
She smiled, brushing a few grains of sand off my nose. “What should we build?”
I thought for a moment. Castles were always fun, but I wanted something special. My mind went to my favorite stuffed animal, a little bunny I had named Cocoa. Cocoa had been with me since I was a baby, and I carried her everywhere. The idea made my heart race with excitement. “A bunny! Can you make me a bunny out of sand?”
Mom’s eyes sparkled. “A sand bunny? That’s a challenge. But let’s do it!”
And so, we began. She gathered handfuls of damp sand, packing it tightly to create the body. I watched in awe as she shaped a rounded belly and then carefully molded two legs, making them look as if the bunny was sitting just like Cocoa did when I propped her up on my bed.
“Now for the feet,” she said, wiggling her toes in the sand before using her fingers to carve out little paw prints. I giggled as she added tiny toes, using a seashell to make them more defined.
Next came the ears. “This part is tricky,” she said, but she worked carefully, pressing and shaping two long ears that stood up just right. One flopped a little, just like Cocoa’s did. My heart swelled with happiness.
I helped smooth the bunny’s back while she sculpted a tiny round tail at the end. “There!” Mom declared, brushing off her hands. “What do you think?”
I sat back and admired our creation. My sand bunny was perfect. He looked soft, even though he was made of grains of sand. “He’s amazing, Mom! But—” I stopped, tilting my head. “He needs a face.”
Mom nodded. “Good thinking. Let’s find something for the eyes and nose.”
We searched the shore, picking up tiny pebbles and shells. Finally, I found two smooth black stones that looked just right for eyes, and a small round shell that made the perfect bunny nose. Mom helped me press them gently into place, and just like that, our sand bunny had a face full of personality.
I clapped my hands together, beaming. “Now he looks real!”
Mom wiped the sand off her hands and gave me a proud smile. “A sand bunny made with love.”
I didn’t want to leave him. I wanted to protect him from the waves, from the other kids running nearby, from the passing breeze that might dry him out too soon. “I wish he could stay forever,” I said softly.
Mom wrapped an arm around me. “I know, sweetheart. But that’s what makes him special. He’s here for today, for this moment, just for us.”
I looked at her, thinking about that. Sometimes, beautiful things don’t last forever—but that doesn’t make them any less important. If anything, it makes them even more precious.
We sat there for a long time, admiring our sand bunny as the sun started to dip lower in the sky. I traced little patterns around him, giving him a pretend garden to live in. Eventually, the tide inched closer, and I knew it was time to say goodbye.
Before we left, I pressed a gentle kiss to my fingers and touched the sand bunny’s head. “Bye, little bunny. Thank you for being here.”
Mom smiled at me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “He’ll always be here, in your heart.”
That night, as I snuggled Cocoa close, I closed my eyes and saw our sand bunny sitting proudly in the golden sand, his ears flopped just right, his tiny feet pressed into the shore. I knew I would never forget him—or the day my mom made me a sand bunny. ❤️🦶🐰
