The Teddy Bear

A Forever Friend

“May you always see the world through the eyes of a child.” —C.J. Heck

A Note from my Inner Child to Yours: 

I still have my Teddy Bear — How about you?

I love my Teddy Bear. He’s old now, just like me, but that’s okay. He loves me just as I am, just as I love him. We have always been there for each other.  I can’t even remember a day my Teddy Bear didn’t live with me.

He is a whole world of things to me. He was always a good listener and he’s kept all of my secrets, secret. He shared all the good times. He helped me with the bad ones, and he always made me feel safe.

I want you to meet my Teddy Bear.  His name is, Jake.

“Say hello, Jake. Awww, be polite, Jake.  You don’t need to protect me right now.  These are my friends, too, and they might be Mama or Daddy to some of your cousins.”

Jake has been repaired many times, but that only shows how much I hugged and loved him. Besides, I see his boo-boos as medals of honor and bravery.  That’s something to be proud of!  They also show his kind and gentle soul.

Jake will always be my forever friend and have a place in my heart and on my bed

My Teddy Bear
by C.J. Heck

My teddy bear was growing old.
I showed him to my dad.
The threads that made his mouth were gone.
My teddy bear looked so sad.

His round dark eyes were crooked.
His button nose hung down.
It made me sad to look at him,
my teddy bear, soft and brown.

A jagged hole showed stuffing
poking through along one side
and I had to hug him gently
so it wouldn't grow more wide.

When Dad showed him to Mama,
she fixed him up like new.
His button nose was tight again
and his mouth was smiling, too.

His eyes were side by side again,
just like they used to be,
and when I sat and talked to him,
he looked right back at me.

She pushed the stuffing in again,
then sewed the hole with thread,
and when I went to sleep last night,
he was with me on my bed.

You know that someone loves you
by the little things they do.
Sometimes, that means much more
than even saying, "I love you."