Monday Memories

Happy is Back!

I know. You are wondering, "What does that mean?! Did Happy ever leave?"

Well sort of. Happy is a bear that my sweet family gave me when I went to college.

(Remember my post on change....)

It was not just any bear though....

On the afternoon of August 24th, 2002 (God, I am getting old), the summer before I left for college, I came home to find a tiny box tied with a pretty yellow ribbon (yellow is my favorite color). Inside were three recorders, one with a message from my Daddy, one with a message from my Momma and one with a message from my baby sister.

I think I cried. Okay...I know I cried :)! And then, I think I looked a little puzzled.

My Momma explained that the tiny recorders were from Build a Bear and that we were all leaving that very minute to go "build a bear" together.

And that is just what we did. We picked out a bear and then we built it.

Can I tell you how wonderful it was? My sweet family each put a tiny heart in my bear in addition to their tiny recorders. They even made a wish, kissed the heart and as I recall, a little dance was involved. We stuffed the bear and fluffed the bear.

Then it was time to name it. I could think of no better name than "Happy." When I think of Home that is the first word that comes to mind "Happy." So that's what I named it. I even have a birth certificate for my sweet Happy.

Now, I know you are also wondering why "Happy is Back. Where did Happy ever go?"

Well, poor Happy. Happy survived four years of college. By my fourth year, I had pressed the recorders so much that they stopped working, all of them, completely. But I still loved my Happy; Coke stains, tears, trips home, trips back to college, and finally a move here, to the little red cottage, Happy had been through a lot with me. Somehow, Happy wound up on a top shelf in my closet and that's where Happy sat for about three years.

Until recently, I rediscovered my bear that had been through so much with me.

A bath, a few stitches, and a new pretty red ribbon later...and...

Happy is Back!

(If only we could convince sweet Faith Anne not to love Happy so much...:)!!)

Wishing you a Marvelous Monday Memory,

~M~