My Teddy

Well, this is day 2 writing about my Teddy Bear. Yesterday I wrote about fixing my son's favorite book, even though he tore it to bits. You can read about it here. My Mom didn't think I should fix it, even though she fixed my bear over and over and over and over again. I never hurt Teddy on purpose, but I also know my son has issues, and that he doesn't destroy things because he's malicious. So, I don't want to punish him, although I do want to teach him that when you destroy something, you can't always just get it back. It's a fine line.

The story of the Ted, I think, is a timeless one. It's particularly appropriate at this particular time when the economy is so poor and parents are feeling stressed about what they're not able to provide for their children.

Sometimes I remember things wrong Mom, so if I make any mistakes, please correct me, but this is how I remember it.

My parents were never rich, and many times went through very difficult times because my father worked in the airline industry, which constantly forced him to go through layoffs and pay cuts. Even now that he's gone, my mother still has to deal with the airlines and their cold unfairness. When I was born, my parents had it particularly hard. For my first Christmas, all they could afford to get me was this little bear. I remember my Mom telling me that she felt bad that's all they got me. I wasn't even a year old, so I'm sure I didn't mind. What they didn't expect is how I took to that bear. I loved that bear. I slept with that bear, played with that bear, talked to that bear, went everywhere with that bear. That bear was a friend, a doll, a ball, you name it. I could never think of a good name, so he just remained Teddy. That bear went to Puerto Rico when I was 3, Ohio when I was 8, Disney when I was 9, Germany and France when I was 19, Hawaii when I was 21. He is a well-travelled bear. I did not take him on my honeymoon, but he was waiting for me when I got home. He's in my son's toy box, and he takes him out and plays with him every once in awhile, and I like that he's still hanging out with all the toys where he belongs, a wise elder.

So, that goes to show you that something you think may be unimportant, insignificant, or insufficient may be just perfect, and may impact a person's life and give them enjoyment and memories to last them a lifetime. Monetary value does not represent the true value of things, and any expression of love is a truly priceless gift.

No matter how bad the economy is, no matter how little money you make, it's still possible to be rich. That is a very important lesson my parents taught me, and I hope that I can teach my children the same.

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