Photo of Arley the Bunny Hi! I’m Arley. This is my second holiday season with my family. My family isn’t the kind of family you might think of when you think of the word “family.” After all, I’m a bunny.

At the moment, my family consists of my bunny brother, Clover, and my bunny sister, Nika, who were adopted at different times and places than I was, and my human mom, “Mom,” who is the nicest human I’ve ever met! I also have a human grandma and human great-grandpa, who love to give me treats! Since bunnies don’t live as long as humans generally do (“house rabbits” usually live to be 7-10 years old), my family structure changes every few years at least. In fact, just a couple months ago my two other bunny sisters, Soleil Nikko and Pandora, died. It was a very sad time for my family.

Changes like that are hard for families to deal with. There are also happy changes, though, like when Mom decided I was litter trained enough that I could have access to the whole house instead of just one room and when a new bunny enters our family. There are also changes that are neither good nor bad necessarily, like moving to a new house and when Mom shampoos the carpet--it’s fun to explore the new smell, but all the fur we’ve shed disappears!

Before Mom adopted me, nothing changed for me. I was stuck in a tiny wire cage with the same food, the same surroundings, the same one toy, and the same lack of attention. So, even though now I have to go through some sad changes once in a while, the other changes are worth it.

Change is a part of every family, no matter what type of family you have. Family members may move out. New members may come into your family. They may get jobs that require them to be away more often or jobs that let them stay home more often. One great thing about family, though, is that the members can help each other get through the tough changes, celebrate with each other during the fun changes, and explore alongside each other the so-so changes. You may get angry with your family sometimes, want to get away from your family sometimes, or even wish you were part of another family sometimes, but your family is still your family. A family sticks together.

Remember, we’re all a part of God’s family, too! And, no matter what changes in our lives, God always sticks with us!

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