Back in February of 2002, AJ lost a bet. A few weeks later, she found herself standing in a crowded restaurant, wearing bunny ears, and singing “Little Bunny Foo Foo.” Two months later, in May, she wound up doing a repeat performance, this time in front of the entire Maryland Jaycees. When AJ loses a best, she doesn’t mess around!
The result of all this singing is that over the past few years, AJ has become known throughout the Jaycees as “Little Bunny Foo Foo,” a role she’s come to wholeheartedly embrace.
In April of this year, AJ was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, a form of cancer. Adding insult to injury, within a few weeks of starting the chemotherapy, she ended up losing her hair. So when her husband, Mike, said that “anything to make her laugh” would be good, her friends jumped at the opportunity.
Because of the chemotherapy’s impact on her immune system, AJ was unable to attend the Jaycees’ quarterly convention in May. So to cheer her up, more than 70 people posed for photos to be put in an album for her. In the photos, everyone held signs bearing personalized messages, and everyone wore bunny ears.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of escorting AJ to the formal dinner at the November Jaycees convention. We paused at the door, waiting to be announced. As people throughout the room grabbed their cameras, the emcee, momentarily speechless, turned away from the microphone. Turning back, she softly said, “I never thought I’d be happy to see those again.”
As the flashes subsided, we were introduced and stepped forward grinning. Perched atop AJ’s head, topping six weeks worth of new hair, was a pair of bunny ears.
As we crossed the room, the emcee softly added in a tone equally laughing and wistful, “Welcome back Bunny Foo Foo.”