She
unpacked her pouch and set about making herself at home, only this time
she noticed she did not fully unpack, for she wondered if she could stay
long in that place. She wondered if she should make friends with Polly
and Bluey, because she remembered how hard it was each time she moved
on. Loving could be so painful.
So she smiled and joked and pretended, and kept busy, oh so busy, because she didn't want to feel.
The days and weeks passed. Hoppy learnt the mysteries of living by the riverside. She thought she was happy. She had met new friends and found rich grasses and grown used to the sounds. She was feeling safe again. But still she hadn't unpacked completely and still she didn't let herself really learn to love the river creatures.
As all creatures that live along the river know, the winter rains change all that is familiar.
Hoppy listened to Polly tell of the dangers and changes to be expected. Hoppy learnt the warning signs. She listened to the stories of years gone by. Polly shared her own story of sadness and loss and fear and loneliness as well as the fun times.
Polly was a great storyteller, and Hoppy loved to sit with the other creatures and listen.
Then
one day Hoppy found herself telling her story of life on the coast, near
the water hole and among the eucalyptus.
Memories of friends came flooding back. Adventures came to mind and Hoppy shared these. Little Bluey noticed the tears in Hoppy's eyes even before Hoppy did.
As she talked, the sadness and loneliness bottled up inside over the years came tumbling out. Hoppy began to realise how special her friends Bluey and Polly were. They listened as she told her story of the losses, the separation from friends and favourite places and the emptiness.
Hoppy found that her friends sometimes felt sad at leaving or even mad at having to leave. Sometimes they felt scared or glad and excited. Even though Hoppy didn't mean to get close to her new friends, in fact she realized she really did love them. Hoppy realized they loved her too.
Winter rains were on their way. Hoppy knew that the time was coming for the family to move on. It was time to go back to the familiar water hole. This time she took time to say good-bye to all her new friends.
She
picked up a special pebble to take with her as a reminder of the river.
She knew she felt sad and lonely and didn't want to leave. She knew she
was loved, and loved her friends deeply. She knew she had grown, and wondered
if Eddy Echidna and Emmy Emu would notice.
She felt different inside. The greens and blues and reds of the countryside looked brighter, the sounds were clearer and somehow musical. She felt the twigs underfoot, and even the grasses tasted sweeter, but she also knew there was sadness in her heart.
She sat quietly by the riverside and felt her sadness. She knew how helpful it was sharing her story even though at times it was hard to do. And deep inside she knew she was not alone.
Facing
the new journey, somehow Hoppy felt a new confidence. She knew moving
on would never be easy, but she knew that when she straightened her ears,
and made sure her tail was tall, she was free to feel the tears and even
let the tears fall.
She would feel sad and sometimes mad. She might even feel glad or scared. But she also knew it was OK to feel mad or sad, glad or scared.