Day 5: Anya's Hubba

Meet Hubba. This raggedy bunny rabbit is my little Anya's most favorite object in the whole world. She takes Hubba everywhere she goes and nothing can take his place. I used this little bunny to prop up her bottles when she was a baby and wasn't able to hold them on her own yet. Thats how Anya and Hubba became inseparable. Dan and I always said that we don't know what we would do if Hubba ever got lost... and then of course one day it happened.

It was during a trip to Bush Gardens in Tampa. I realized Hubba was missing at the end of our day at the park. Anya must have thrown him out of her stroller somewhere along the way without me noticing. I had no choice but to backtrack thru the park and try to find Hubba. As I retraced my steps, I stopped along the way at stores and stands to ask if anyone had turned in a white stuffed bunny rabbit... no one had. I searched thru half the park up to the point where I knew she had him last and didn't find Hubba anywhere. It was getting close to closing time so I made my way to the lost and found at the entrance... hoping that someone had turned the bunny in... again no luck. I filled out a card with my information and the description of the lost item and had no choice but to head home. During the 2 hour drive back to Orlando I felt horrible leaving Hubba behind. Anya was asking for him and I tried to explain to her that Hubba was lost. She seemed to understand. When we got home my husband (who wasn't at the park with us) had a replacement bunny waiting for her... it wasn't the same, but after searching several stores it was the closest he could find. But Anya wasn't fooled, she wanted nothing to do with the impostor. She asked for Hubba several times that evening before falling asleep and there was nothing I wanted more than for her to have her bunny. I couldn't help thinking about Hubba being in some dark dirty trashcan at that very moment when he should be tucked in snugly under Anya's arm...it brought me to tears. I know my reaction might seem crazy, but there aren't many things that a 2 year old treasures and Hubba was that one special thing to Anya... her prized possession. That night my husband and I decided that he would call the Bush Garden's Lost and Found in the morning and offer a reward for the return of Anya's bunny. I knew that if anyone could get the bunny back it was my husband... he just has a way with words.

So when my phone rang the next afternoon and it was a number I didn't recognize my heart started to fill with hope.... could it be? The person on the other end was Janel from Bush Gardens, she was calling to let me know that they found the bunny and she will put him in the mail for me asap. I couldn't believe it! Hubba was coming HOME! I guess Janel was very touched by my husbands urgency in finding his little girls bunny (she also remembered me from the previous day) and I don't know exactly how she did it but within minutes Hubba was found. I am so very grateful for the outstanding customer service that Janel provided to us... she went out of her way to locate and return a raggedy old bunny... that could very easily have been tossed away. The look on Anya's face when Hubba came in the mail the next day was absolutely Priceless... and so is Hubba.