teddy bear day

When I was in 2nd grade, we had Teddy Bear Day. Now Teddy Bear Day was an entire day of teddy bear related activities. We made cookies in the shape of teddy bears. We wrote stories about teddy bears… you get the picture. Well the most special part of Teddy Bear Day was that we were each allowed to bring our favorite teddy bear – you know, to keep us company for the day.

At the time, my favorite teddy bear was the Snuggle fabric softener bear – which I, of course, forgot at home. Was there an easy fix, you ask? Well, my father was away on business, and my mother had taken the morning off to go to the dentist. This was also during the pre-mobile phone era. As the tender hearted mini-homo that I was, I was absolutely despondent, and pretty much inconsolable. My grandparents were called – but they mustn’t have had a key to our house or something…

So here’s the thing – there was this cute little girl in my class, whom I will call Rebecca. By late high school, Rebecca and I were arch rivals. During both our Junior and Senior years, Rebecca ran against me for Class President, President of the Student Government, and President of the Concert Choir. Let’s just say, that I don’t lose things… she however, did.

During second grade, Rebecca was always sending me little notes. You know the kind – Do you like me? Circle yes or no. As such, she decided that I could share her teddy bear. Well let me tell you about her teddy bear. Her teddy bear was a girl, was too big, and was dressed in some hideous country-ish little dress. I did not like her teddy bear – nevertheless, I grinned and ‘beared’ it. All the while, my humanity was slowly chipping away. Ok- maybe a tad over dramatic, but whatever!

To make what has turned in to a very long story, short – my grandparents tracked down my mother at the dentist. My mother skipped her appointment – only to drive the hour long distance home, to get my teddy bear and hand deliver it to me by lunch time. Spoiled? Me? Never! To this day, my Snuggle bear sits on the top bunk in my bedroom at my parents’ house.