Good Old Bear

In this picture, C is cuddling my bear who has always been, simply, Teddy. Good old bear has been around since 1983. Over 30 years. He came with me to summer camp, to university, to law school. He comforted me through betrayals and break ups, kept me company through all-nighters and insomnia. He slept with me the night before my wedding and the night my mother passed away. Over the years, Teddy has slept in lots of different beds, though the first and best is still in R's bedroom - a cherrywood double bed that my great-grandfather built by hand. I love to see him cuddled with one of my children, as with C, here.

And when I'm feeling melancholy and frustrated, on a day I feel that I can't do or say anything right, there's still a lot to be said for a quiet, non-judgmental plush bear built to be just the right size for a hug.