In honor of National Hug a Bear Day.
In honor of National Hug a Bear Day on 7 November, I wanted to brag about an old teddy bear that has been with me since I was a toddler.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Meet Timmothy
Did you have a favorite teddy bear or plush animal you adored as a child? I was fortunate to have a few, and Timmothy was with me for a long time.
I do not know the exact age I received Timmothy, but he is a part of some of my earliest childhood memories. I would guess I had had him since I was three years old.
According to his butt tag, he is a Russ Berrie teddy bear whose given name is "Baby Bibi." Young me did not care about his given name and loved the name "Timmothy" for some reason.
Timmothy is a small brown bear who fits perfectly in the palm of my adult hands. He has a pacifier attached to his left paw but can be removed from his mouth.
I always brought Timmothy when my Mom or Dad took me along to run errands or go on a day trip somewhere. He was small enough to fit in my jacket pocket or Mom's purse.
Because he had an open mouth, I always felt obligated to feed him. I vaguely recall Mom yelling at me for trying to feed him my dinner before eating it myself. Eventually, Mom convinced me that Timmothy would only eat M&Ms.
Anytime I had M&Ms while riding in a car, I fed some to Timmothy. I would fill his mouth first and then eat whatever was left in the package. After I finished 'my share,' I ate the pieces stuffed in his mouth since he was not hungry enough to eat it himself.
One day, I decided Timmothy needed help chewing. I shoved M&Ms into his mouth and pressed the top and bottom of his together to make him chew. He still has tiny broken candy shells stuck in his mouth because I still cannot figure out how to get it all out.
Timmothy is special to me because he is one of a few childhood toys my Mom never got rid of during my youth.
Every few months, Mom held a yard sale to earn money because we were "poor." (We were not poor, but I was led to believe that to be true growing up.) Sadly, Mom would include a lot of my toys in the sale.
Mom and I agreed that three baby dolls were off-limits and mine forever. (I still have them.) But I had to plead my case for the toys I wanted to keep. It always turned out that I got to keep the toys I did not care for (Barbie dolls and other 'girly' toys) and 'lost' the toys I loved most (playsets like my toy workshop, cars, games, and plush animals).
Timmothy and a few other small plush animals would hide in my backpack on yard sale days. I felt guilty for secretly hiding them from Mom (maybe she knew and never said anything), but I also felt a sense of pride and accomplishment for saving them from being sold to some other kid who would not provide them with the same high level of love, care, and M&Ms as what I gave them.
Because of the bond I developed with Timmothy as a very young child, I could not find it in my adult heart to give him away. I once hoped to give him and my other childhood toys to my own child one day, but he will remain my little M&Ms buddy while I am childless.
What's Next?
In honor of National Hug a Bear Day, I will give Timmothy lots of love today as a thank you for tolerating me as a child. If you have a teddy bear, why not give it a hug? Especially if it is soft and fluffy, it may help you feel better if you are having a rough day.
Comment below to describe your favorite teddy bear!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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