Cuddle

Almost everyone has had a stuffed toy as a cuddle, when he/she was a kid. Mine was called “Fred” and it was a bear with a yellow-green-white striped t-shirt on. I still have him; anno 2008 he’s missing his eyes, nose and his limps are stitched back to his body several times (thank you, mom!) and basically his whole body is ragged and in bad condition. But it is my own personal cuddle, which I couldn’t do without. I am doing better without him since a few years, thank you (about 25 years now…). But I remember my friend back then once said that “Fred” was a silly name and that she had some suggestions to change it. I still remember how much that hurt; he was my Fred and he’d always be Fred!

I remembered all those things last Wednesday when we were in the car with Lara, driving all the way up to my in-laws in Germany (about 300 miles). Lara has a Winnie the Pooh-bear as her cuddle. Got it from her grandma and when she was about 4 or 5 months she started to get hooked to it. We’ve been trying to keep it solemnly for bedtime, so the thing stays in bed when she’s not in it (also because I am scared that the thing gets lost!). But of course we took it with us on this long journey. So when she started to get a bit tired in the back of the car I gave her her Pooh-bear and just the way she hugged it made my eyes water! It’s so sweet!

And even when she’s asleep, Pooh-bear is always near at hand; she keeps it to her face or at least has one hand on his body. Always!!! Amazing…

Her Pooh has his own special smell (not bad, I must say! It’s the smell of the fruit juice she often drinks and of herself; I like it!); basically because I can’t wash it. It can’t go into the machine and if I should handwash it, it will take 2 days to dry! So, after more than a year of cuddling, drooling and chewing on the poor thing looks kinda worn out. I found a picture of Lara with her Pooh from 1 year ago and just took one of her with Pooh today; Look at the difference in color!

So far I haven’t had to stitch it back up, but I know I will. I don’t know how old this Pooh-bear will grow, but I’ll do what ever it takes to keep this cuddly bear alive for my little girl!