I wish I could say I remember when I got the bear, that it was a gift from an important relative. But, I don't remember. I have no recollection of receiving him: no memory of unwrapping him from a box or pulling him from a gift bag and saying, "Oh my gosh! I wanted this bear so much." It could have been a Christmas gift, or something I got on my birthday. He might have come directly from a plastic store bag, given to me at some random moment rather than on a special occasion, or could have been a toy I earned for being a good girl one day in Wal-Mart.
Maybe the reason I don't remember the moment I received Snuggles is because it just seems like he has always been there. Without shame, I will admit that I slept with that little guy until a man started sharing my bed on a regular basis. These days, he lives in my closet, in a tote bag with some lesser-revered stuffed animals. He's actually in pretty good shape: still has two eyes and a little nose firmly attached. His hot pink tongue hasn't faded. There is a little hole in his left leg, and the stuffing in that limb is no longer as plentiful. Still, for twenty-eight-ish years, the bear is in pretty good shape.
Over the years I have given up many items of sentiment. I threw out the shoebox full of snail mail from my camp friend Amy, lost the necklace my mom and dad gave to me when I turned 18. I put tons of photos from my high school years into the trash before I left for college. The cd containing an ochestral piece of music my exboyfriend wrote for me? It's long gone. A toy chest my grandfather bought for me went for $5.00 in a yard sale. All my Baby-Sitter's Club books went to charity along with the barbies and other playthings from my childhood.
It felt good, in fact, to purge myself of a lot of that at the time, though I wish I had kept the photos and the cd.
I know that ultimately, it's just stuff.
But, be that as it may, I will never get rid of that bear.
What are your prized childhood posessions? Is there something specific you can't bring yourself to toss out? Is there anything you wish you'd kept, but didn't?
Over the years I have given up many items of sentiment. I threw out the shoebox full of snail mail from my camp friend Amy, lost the necklace my mom and dad gave to me when I turned 18. I put tons of photos from my high school years into the trash before I left for college. The cd containing an ochestral piece of music my exboyfriend wrote for me? It's long gone. A toy chest my grandfather bought for me went for $5.00 in a yard sale. All my Baby-Sitter's Club books went to charity along with the barbies and other playthings from my childhood.
It felt good, in fact, to purge myself of a lot of that at the time, though I wish I had kept the photos and the cd.
I know that ultimately, it's just stuff.
But, be that as it may, I will never get rid of that bear.
What are your prized childhood posessions? Is there something specific you can't bring yourself to toss out? Is there anything you wish you'd kept, but didn't?
Comments
I also have a Cubs jacket that I'll never fit back into, but I loved it so I'm keeping it.
For me the one toy I will never get rid of is the "real life" baby doll my grandma got me for my 5th bday- she died shortly after that and its the one piece of her I have left- she's in a bin in the basement but she's still loved!
Maybe someday when I have a grand-daughter I will finally give them away.
Or there is always Ebay! (Help pay for that retirement home)