Ol' Bear

Ol' Bear wasn't always old, of course.  It's just the only name I remember him ever having.  My four year old received the bear during a visit to an urgent care for an ear infection when he was just a baby.  I have often wanted to let those nurses know how much the little stuffed bear has meant to him.

Ol' Bear recently went missing.  Now, a couple of years ago this would have been a complete crisis.  There would have been lots of tears, tearing the house apart looking for him and bargaining with replacements.  Fortunately, the four year old's attachment to the stuffed animal isn't quite as strong as it once was.  A simple, "We'll look for him tomorrow - how about sleeping with this (obviously inferior) animal tonight?" has been sufficient.

For many weeks now the four year old has occasionally approached me with a pitiful comment about the missing bear.  Something like, "Mommy, we STILL don't know where Ol' Bear is."  Heartbreaking.

Well, after a recent cleaning spree the bear was found, abandoned in the back of a closet.  To which the eight year old commented, "Oh, yeah.  I think I remember hiding him there a while ago or something."  Right.

So the four year old was reunited with his missing friend.  Much happiness and rejoicing ensued.  Then he said to the eight year old, "When are you going to sew Ol' Bear a shirt?"  He thinks his big brother can do anything.  Really sweet.  He also thought that the poor bear was cold.  After the boys were in bed that night I decided to try and rectify the situation.

I surprised the four year old in the morning with a sweater that I stayed up crocheting.  He suggested that a matching hat might be nice.

Now child and beloved stuffed animal are reunited.  Ol' Bear is no longer cold.  There is balance in the universe once again.

~ Dori