Between nothingness and nothingness there is a fleeting infinity we like to call Everything. In this Everything, there’s life that due to its size is practically insignificant, yet even just a single being is capable of feeling all kind of emotions, moreover doing something that can transform somebody else’s perspective.

A year ago, my mom told me she was going to the supermarket and only a minute after she had left, I heard my bunny, Aston, make a peculiar noise, which is weird because bunnies don’t emit sound. When I went to see him, I noticed he was crying, which was alarming due to the fact that rabbits only let their tears out when they’re in the utmost state of anguish there is.

At the moment I couldn’t figure the situation out, so I grabbed him and caressed him until he fell asleep in my arms. Truthfully, caressing Aston was my favorite part of every day. It was until now I was able to realize and reflect on what had happened that day.

That day, Aston was crying because he thought my mom was never coming back. At first I thought to myself “Poor thing! Doesn’t he know she’s coming back in a bit?”, but then I remembered I used to do the same thing when I was a little kid every time my God mother, Cristina, who raised me and use to live with me, went to visit her parents in her humble town.

Yet this fleeting moment made me realize this: do we know with certainty if our people will come home? What happens with all those moments that I will not be able to live any longer with them? Did I even enjoy them? But most importantly… What would happen if we reverted to the way that animals and children possess of living in the moment? To live as if it were the last day of our lives. To do whatever and love whoever our hearts desire. What would it happen if we stopped taking everything for granted? And if we don’t say ‘I love you’ or give a hug today is because we’ll always have tomorrow. So I proceed to ask myself: if there’s no tomorrow, what would you do today Serena?

I immediately jumped out of my bed and gave a hug to every family member who lives with me, and after that I said ‘I love you’. It instantly made me feel better. Since then, I have a better relationship with both of my sisters, Ema and Helena. Then, I decided to call my grandparents and talk to them at least every two days, because I wanted to let them know how much I love them I every chance I could get. After that, I called my God mother, who I haven’t been able to see in over a year due to the pandemic; I cried when I heard her voice again.

I sight of who I was. That’s what taking everything and everyone for granted had led me to.

I started baking again, which is one of my favorite hobbies. I baked cookies for my friends and sent them to them in the mail along with a card thanking them for our friendship. And lastly, I decided to stop overthinking and called my best friend to confess him that I have feelings for him (a bit cliché, right? Nonetheless, those are the greatest love stories).

Thank you, Aston. I would have never forgiven myself if I didn’t learn from our little episode to stop taking everything and everyone for granted, and quit thinking we’ll always have tomorrow, because, what if tomorrow never comes?