Yesterday evening, I was in Robby's room, trying to get him to settle down for a much-needed nap when Matt suddenly appeared in the doorway.He had a huge smile on his face as he said, "Look what I found." While rummaging through our bedroom, he happened across an old friend - his beloved, little panda bear he got when he was a tyke.
"Oh, your bear. Cool," I said, still frazzled from wrestling with Robby.
"I want to give it to him," he said.
"Are you sure?" I asked, "I know it's special and Robby's pretty rough on stuffed animals."
He smiled and said, "Yeah. I really do." He handed it over to me and I put it in front of the squealing tot's face so he could inspect it. Immediately, he stopped crying. His eyes got huge and his little jaw dropped as if this was the most wonderful thing his little eyes had ever seen. He grabbed the bear from my hand, and held it close, looked up at me, and then smiled as if he understood just how special the little bear was.
Matt had gone back into our bedroom to continue gathering laundry. I told him what had just happened. "Really?" he asked, smiling wide. I followed him as he walked to Robby's room to witness this for himself. Sure enough, Robby was laying in his crib, babbling to the little bear. I stood back to give them space. "Do you like him? Do you like the panda bear? This was mine when I was little. He's very special," he said, beaming.
There's something very traditional about a parent passing down something that was once special to them as a child. It almost as if you're passing down a little piece of yourself along with it; a glimpse of what was and what used to be. It also humbles you to think of yourself of ever being that small, looking in wonder upon something as simple as a stuffed animal. But, of course, it's not the bear itself that sparks such awe. It's the meaning behind it. The bear was so special to Matt that he kept it with him even when he left home for college and made sure to take it with him when he moved to Idaho. Some things just never lose their value and worth. I would love to someday see my grandchildren running around my home, giggling and playing with the same little bear that brought my husband and son such great joy so many years before.
