The Comfort of Stuffed Animals

I'm an adult, and most days I can adult ok. I'm a mom and a wife, I have a job and my house isn't a complete disaster. But I do have rough days thanks to having chronic pain. Especially on those rough days, I like snuggling stuffed animals.

When I was a kid, I always preferred stuffed animals to dolls. My favorite was my Pooh Bear that I got when I was only one. He's been snuggled and loved so much that he's nearly flat now. But I still have him and he's still my bear. He's not great for snuggling alone though since he's so flat.

Emily got the stuffed animal loving gene from me and has a lot of stuffies. When I was in the hospital many years ago, she gave me a teddy bear that was named Chronic Pain Bear. After Todd got diagnosed with MS, Chronic Pain Bear became his.

Last year, Emily and Todd got me a pink cat Build-A-Bear named Princess Leia. And then after Dragon Con, I finally bought the Captain America Build-A-Bear that I had been wanting. I named him Steve.

Steve is a comfort to me when my pain levels are bad or when the depression and anxiety kick in. It may not seem very adult to sleep with a stuffed animal, but for me it is. Coping however you can is extremely adult.

What Does Pooh Think?

Miss Emily and Baby Pooh

I watched the first two Toy Story movies a few times before I became a mom. But since then, I've seen all three dozens of times because they are Emily's favorites. Because I've seen these so many times, I wonder what Emily's toys think. But mostly I wonder what Pooh Bear thinks about his current situation.

Pooh had life pretty easy for about 20 years. He was cuddled and loved, but I obviously didn't play with him once I was a teenager. Then along came Emily, who loves him a bunch but also loves playing with him. He's gotten a little more worn because of her playing but he's still in ok shape.

Lately, he's been Baby Pooh. Emily wraps him up in a blanket and hauls him all around the house. The toys in Toy Story would have been really happy with this situation since all they want is to be played with. Pooh doesn't look very happy though. I somehow see him thinking, "I'm too old for this s***" ala Roger Murtaugh.

The Story of Pooh

Emily and I with Pooh Bear

When I was one, I got a small stuffed Pooh Bear as a present. He became my favorite stuffed animal and has been ever since. Even though he’s now 35 years old, I still have him and love him.

Pooh was yellow and came with his signature red shirt. He lost his shirt somewhere and became less and less yellow. When I was small, I slept with him every night. I remember my parents becoming distressed when I didn't want to sleep with him anymore when I was a little older. They convinced me that it was okay to still sleep with my Pooh.

I grew up and it was time to go off to college. I left Pooh at home because I didn't want to lose him. My mom bought me a giant Pooh to take to college.  After college, I moved back home. My mom passed away from cancer less than a week after I moved back, so I really needed my Pooh Bear then.

A year after my mom passed away, my daily chronic headaches started. My stuffed bear was something to cuddle during the long nights when the pain kept me awake. A few years after I had moved back home, I moved in with Todd. Pooh came with me this time, and I still slept with him sometimes.

Pooh ended up getting put up though because he would nearly always end up on Todd’s side of the bed. When I was really sick or in pain, I would cuddle him. Todd and I moved to North Carolina and then got married. Pooh, of course, made the journey with us. Then along came Emily.

Because Pooh is an old bear and has had to been stitched back together, I didn't let Emily near him for the first couple years of her life. Now that she is four, she adores Mommy’s Pooh. He usually stays in my room, but Emily will sleep with him for naps and will get him when she’s feeling sick.

Pooh has gone from just a beloved stuffed animal to a family heirloom. Hopefully he’ll be around for another 35 years!