The Magical Superpower of Our Beloved Pets

We can learn so much from the animals in our lives. They possess magical gifts they willingly share with us. Sometimes they are even a bit stealthy about it! 

Take a look at the real, live, Valentino, my treasured Dwarf Netherland bunny. He's in a state of bliss. How do I know? It's his body language! He's stretched out and relaxed, after being fed and having his needs attended to. There is a calm stillness, a delicious softness that radiates from him. Valentino's demeanor beckons me to gently take him in my arms to hold him close to my heart. 

As he warmly snuggles against me, his "bunny radar "is activated. He reads my mood and senses when I'm upset or stressed. He quietly syncs his heartbeat to mine and can be held like this for what seems like forever! Valentino even closes his eyes - could he be dozing and dreaming? Then, something special happens… My breathing slows down. My heartbeat aligns with his. I feel calm; safe.

As I go about the rest of my day after taking a "cuddle break" with Valentino, I sense a positive shift in body and spirit. I am mindful of my breath, I am centered, grounded - clear-headed and uplifted. The troubles of the day lose  their sharp edges and melt away. That certain something - the "Je ne sais quois" - is the transfer of Valentino's special superpower, informing me that everything will be ok. 

I will always be grateful to this tiny, 3 lb. for helping me feel good, enjoy a lightness of being and to be present in the world for myself and people in my life. Thank you, Valentino, for inspiring me to share your message of love with the world.

Have you had a "positive-shift" experience like this with a much loved pet, a special person or place in your life? Please share your experience and a photo, if you have one, of you holding your pet. If you’re interested in learning about adventures with Valentino, visit valentinothelovebunny.com/valentino-videos.

Love,

Margarita 

(aka “The Animal Lady”)

Valentino snuggling close!

SPREAD LOVE....IT'S THE GREATEST THING WE CAN DO!

September 30,2023

Memo to our followers:

Hello friends!

I am so grateful you are here and I want to take a moment to bring you deeper into the meaning of Valentino The Love Bunny.

Valentino was my beautiful Netherland Dwarf bunny. He was one of the greatest loves of my life. I could never have imagined the relationship that unfolded between us and how he affected my entire life. I know that you can all relate to this phenomenon. Bunnies are extraordinary pets, and the journey of earning their trust, and the intimacy that ensues, is remarkable. So, yes, part of the Valentino dream is about sharing this love for our pets, but there is an even bigger part to this. This is really about the kind of love that is generated within us, because of this special animal. And, is about taking that love, and spreading it outward in any and every way we can. No way is too small. When I go to our various social media sites and interact with our following, I am struck with our commonality. That commonality is not just all the precious animals I see, but the underlying love that is driving us all. This is a beautiful place to be. This is a good group to be with. This is a safe place to be in a very scary and sometimes inhumane world.

That is why I want to ask you, the Valentino The Love Bunny family, to help me spread his message to love one another, to protect one another, to honor this roller-coaster of a ride gift, called life. It is we, the people who come from this place of humility and gratitude, who are going to bring this world back from the brink. We are the ones that are softened from within, no matter what gets thrown at us, we keep our kindness and our hearts soft. Yes….that is what bunnies can do for us, and that’s what we can bring to the world at large….

We are going to be sharing something magical soon, so keep your eye out and please take a listen. If you love it, like I do, share it with as many people as you can. Additionally, Valentino The Love Bunny is on a mission to create animated  programming for children that is anchored in love and positivity, goodness and humility. Every night when I lay my head on my pillow, I pray. I pray for all those that are suffering in any way, but especially for children. The countless children that are in some nightmare of a situation, terrified, and feeling hopeless. I pray for them. I embrace them, I hold them in my spirit and I feel them in my arms. We are living in crazy, the craziest times I have ever known. We must come together, that is Valentino The Love Bunny’s quest.

Sending a lot of love to everyone who needs it,  and just because…It is the greatest thing we can do!

Love,

Margarita 

(aka “The Animal Lady”)

When a cloud inspires

Do you see what I see? Photo courtesy of Margarita Fairbanks

Meet Will Galzerano, a new creative member of the Valentino team here in Santa Barbara! His focus is creating content that is based on the Valentino mission to “spread love everywhere you go.” Through creating artistic imagery, Will invites us to get to know and understand Valentino through his point of view. 

He’s a gifted poet and has a feel for articulating the times we live in/the essence of the human experience. Here’s a beautiful example of his heart-felt words. Will shared that the inspiration behind this poem was an image I took of a beautiful cloud which I posted to social media. Poetry to me is such a beautiful opportunity for self expression. 

Do you like poetry? Do you enjoy writing your own poems? If you’ve written a poem that can inspire others through positivity, please share it with us here. We want to interactively engage more with our followers, so please let us know what is meaningful to you. In turn, with your permission, we’ll share your contribution with our community. This is a great way to spread the love, which is Valentino The Love Bunny’s mission.

Also, don’t forget to look up! To the sky, the clouds, the sun, the stars and the moon. All beautiful gifts to behold.

Love,

Margarita 

(aka “The Animal Lady”)

HUMANITY

Are you Woke or Maga, they say?

But truly, the difference is just a play,

The human problem hides beneath,

And Love, for all, brings much relief.

By their fruits you'll know their ways,

A simple truth that we all should praise,

For love and understanding, juicy fruits,

Are what we need to heal and reboot.

Love is the key, we know it's true,

But without forgiveness, what can we do?

It's like an apple pie without ice cream,

The missing piece, the necessary dream.

Loving yourself is where it starts,

Be proud of your walk and your heart,

But remember too, humility is key,

Thinking less of yourself, sets you free.

Hate is rampant, it's everywhere,

The only safe place, is in your care,

Do your best, live sustainably,

And don't take from humanity.

Let love guide you, let it shine,

Forgive those who wronged you, it’s fine.

Love, love, love, let it be your way,

For tomorrow is another day.

From Self Doubt to Self Belief

Like anyone who’s human, I have bouts of self doubt. Recently, while stuck in bed recovering from an illness, I was struggling to feel my self worth and my unfaltering belief in the mission I have undertaken with my company, Valentino The Love Bunny. Questions like “Am I getting through?,” “Do people really care?,” “How will I fulfill my purpose?,” “Is it worth it?” Questions I believe people ask themselves every day. Feeling sick always clouds the day and I just couldn’t break through. 

The next day, even though I was still feeling weak and vulnerable, I decided to check on my phone messages. Low and behold, there was one from a customer. She explained that she had inadvertently placed multiple orders and could I please call  back to straighten out the situation. One of the things I most enjoy about this business is the ability to have direct contact with the people who are supporting me and my dream to make the world a better place. People who love bunnies, people who love animals, people who love…love. 

And so, I called. The kind voice that greeted me sounded surprised to hear from me so quickly, but that’s how we roll here at the company! There is no better time than NOW to solve a problem and make someone happy. Without prompting, she expressed such love for her Playful Valentino The Love Bunny. She explained that she was anxious to get a Playful Valentino toy and Book 1 into the hands of her beloved grandson so he could experience the same warm feelings and joy she got from one of our most popular stuffies. 

She continued by saying, “I have to tell you how important what you are doing is! You are making a difference in people’s lives with your books and toys, and especially, Valentino’s message. I can tell that you’re a good person and that you love animals and people.”  I was beyond touched when she went on to share something deeply personal that was heavy on her heart. She explained that she had recently lost her husband, the love of her life. She was so lonely for him and wondered what life could possibly look like without him. She missed the warmth and comfort of him sleeping by her side and, quite incredibly, she told me Valentino The Love Bunny was helping to fill his spot. Her final message was that God has a plan for all of us, even if we don’t know it and “to have faith.”

Honestly, I was moved to tears and told her that I fully understood. My own Cuddly plush Valentino The Love Bunny had been in my arms comforting me every night for two years after my beloved mother, my soulmate, passed away. There are countless people around the world who sleep with their bunnies or other soft plushies. Babies, children, adults and seniors, and yes, corporate executives  - all sleeping with their comfort item. It is as natural and soothing to the human spirit as could be! 

The day before this amazing conversation,I was feeling low and discouraged and now, I felt I had just received a direct message from God, Himself!! Let us not forget, there are angels in every corner of this world. They are all around us, comforting us and this is living proof. So, if you are feeling down, if you are feeling hopeless or lost, look and listen for your angel. I heard mine, this lovely lady.   You need to be open to the love that is waiting for you, maybe in the next person you meet. We never know where the answers might come from, but they do come!

 Love,

Margarita (aka “The Animal Lady”)

CAN YOU LOVE TOO MUCH?

Can you love too much? This topic came up as I read a lovely thank you note from one of my customers, a little boy named Sebastian. I gave this some deep thought and the answer, without a doubt, is, NO! Love has no limits. Our ability to communicate love verbally and physically is what makes us beautifully human. Thank you, Sebastian, for expressing yourself and sharing this purity of heart and thought. I want you and all people to know that you can never love too much. This is the Valentino The Love Bunny message.

 Love,

Margarita (aka “The Animal Lady”)

A Time to Reflect and Renew

Image from Valentino The Love Bunny And How He Came To Be, page 19

This is a special time for many people around the world. It’s Easter and Passover, soon followed by Ramadan. Regardless of your faith, the season of spring is a time of self reflection and renewal. It’s a call to action to love and accept one another regardless of differences we may have. We are, first and foremost, human beings, bound together by the capacity to do good. 

In the image above, Valentino gazes at himself and notices two hearts on his face. His “aha” moment is realizing they are a sign of love. He discovers that his purpose is to spread love everywhere he goes. We should all take a look in the mirror and search within ourselves for our purpose in life.

Have you discovered your purpose in life? Do you perform good deeds? How do you spread love?

Dream Big and Never Give Up!!

Photo courtesy of Patricia Westley

In volume two of my book series - Valentino The Love Bunny Takes Flight - Valentino encourages his readers to dream big and never give up, because, with enough imagination and determination ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! This was truly brought to life when I saw these photos of a young lady that I’ve known since she was a young girl. She dreamed of being an opera singer and dedicated herself to this pursuit. It was not without adversity, however, which she had to overcome. As you can see, she has become a beautiful young woman who has made her dream come true and the world is now her stage. Her story is amazing and you can learn more about her here

Now not everyone is cut out to sing Mendelssohn’s Barthody at the Charlotte Symphony, as Patricia just did on March 26th. We are not all cut out for the same things. Each person has ambitions of their own that are just as worthy as performing opera. As we learn from Valentino, the most important thing is to believe in yourself, work hard and search for your tribe, those who will support and encourage you to make your dreams come true.

photo courtesy of Patrica Westley

Protecting Our Children

This week’s tragic elementary school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee - which took the lives of three innocent young children, trusted teachers, and staff - triggered an agonizing ache in my heart. This incident is a horrifying example of the disintegration of our humanity. It chips away at our spirit and destabilizes our fundamental existence. Each terrible, senseless shooting creates a rallying call to action in our country that must be answered. We must act by doing everything possible to put children first; protect them, keep them truly safe.

This incident along with all the others of its kind - think Uvalde, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, Parkland, Sandy Hook, Columbine - is heinous and unacceptable. Did you know that there have been over 376 school shootings since Columbine?! When will we be a country that stands for children, making them our #1 priority, keeping them truly safe and educating them so that they may live full, happy lives?

I put my feelings into this short poem:

Let children be children,

It’s only fair,

Try to remember, we were once there,

A child’s heart, so tender and new,

Let’s keep it safe, hopeful and true

In my desire to make a difference, I created the Valentino The Love Bunny book series. But it’s more than that. It’s a movement. It’s my way of offering children a safe place to explore universal truths and ethics in a gentle and innocent way. There are messages about family; tolerance; patience; comfort; confidence; hope; good manners; accountability; nature; spirituality; charity; what it means to take action; be a force for good and spread love. 

What are you doing in your own way to save the children? What do you think we can do to restore the priceless value of our youngest, most vulnerable citizens? Please feel free to share your thoughts and actions here.