I Have Rabies

Artist: Camborley G.

Book: Tiny Paws and Colorful Claws

Medium: KingArt Colored Pencils

“Every act of kindness counts.”
Question: What’s a simple act of kindness you can do today?

The Story Behind the Art: I’ll never forget the day my four-year-old baby girl sat at the table, surrounded by her blank paper and colorful crayons. She had just asked me, “Mommy, what’s your favorite animal?” I told her that I’ve always liked chinchillas. Of course, we then had to explore what a chinchilla looked like, with its bushy tail and cute little features.

There she was, drawing this beautiful chinchilla. Behind it, she added a rainbow and hearts, along with all sorts of lovely things that only a four-year-old could imagine. When she finished, she decided to write a note on the back. We’ve always valued writing, you see. When she was tiny, I used to leave her notes with little pictures – “Mommy is in the” with a picture of our yard, or “Please get your” with a picture of shoes. That’s how she learned to read.

As she wrote her note, she asked me how to spell some words she didn’t know. I remember her asking about “dear,” and of course, she already knew “mommy.” Then I heard her say “babies,” so I spelled that for her. Finally, she needed help with “chinchilla,” which I gladly provided.

When she finished, she handed me this beautiful picture of a smiling chinchilla with a rainbow in the background. “This is for you, Mommy,” she said proudly. I turned it over, and on the back, it read: “Dear Mommy, I have rabies. Love, The Chinchilla.” This is a picture that I absolutely love and have kept it framed in my bedroom ever since.

Fast forward 15 years. Now, I’ve started making coloring books and just added an Art Gallery to my website, AmberMoonBooks.com. It features pictures from various artists using different mediums, but the only person who hasn’t contributed is my baby girl, now 19 years old.  I, of course, have to give her a hard time about this.  I have pictures from some of her friends, but none from her.

It’s my birthday, I walk into her room, and she is excited to give me my present. It is a colored picture from my coloring book, “Tiny Paws & Colorful Claws” that can be seen above. I tell her that I love it and will definitely add it to the Art Gallery.  She beams and prompts me to turn it over.  On the back, it reads, “To: Mom, Love: Camborley, P.S. I have rabies!”

I should have learned my lesson 15 years ago, but I wouldn’t change a thing. That rabid chinchilla and its message are a testament to the joy, love, and laughter my daughter has brought into my life. It now holds a special place in my Art Gallery and on my wall next to the one from so many years ago, a reminder of the beautiful bond between a mother and daughter.

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