Ted
AUG.
29, 2015
By DANIELLE LOUBIER
I thought about what my most
prized possession is for hours. I wanted to pick something unique and
interesting; an object that no one else had. I asked some of my friends and
family. Everyone agreed with what I was thinking, “Danielle, you’re not very
materialistic. I can’t think of any one possession you prize over another.” It’s
true; I’m a downsizer. I get rid of my things when I don’t need them anymore or
when they get old. Yeah, I have special pictures, but I wouldn’t say they’re
necessarily prized. I don’t have them on display, I haven’t had them since I
was young, and I don’t show them off. My boyfriend had an awesome idea. He
said, “Why don’t you write about a memory?” I loved that idea, and as tempting
as it is, I thought it might not categorize as a possession. So, after much
consideration, I finally came up with the one object I’ve had for a long time,
one that when I look at now reminds me of my childhood. It’s extremely cliché,
but alas, he is my most prized possession. Ted.
I
promise Ted was named way before the raunchy movie comedy by Seth MacFarlane
starring Mark Wahlberg. My Ted is also a teddy bear, though, and when I was
little, my Ted talked, too. I received Ted on my second birthday from my dad. I
don’t remember this, but since the day I received Ted, he did not leave my side
for years. If my parents would have let me take him to school and church I
would have. He is about a foot tall while sitting, which he’s very good at
doing because of his bean butt. His stuffing/bean combination makeup does not
allow him to stand, although I must’ve tried to make him one hundred times. He
is light brown, has curly “fur,” and a small nose made from black thread (a few
years ago, one thread came loose, but I’ve just left it the way it is).
Ted
has had an interesting life. He’s endured multiple decapitations and punctures
with scars to prove. Luckily, his injuries were nothing a thread and needle
couldn’t fix. He permanently has a sweet maple syrup scent because of his many
weekend visits to the breakfast table. Ted is a unique bear. Even though he has
resided in my multiple closets (because of multiple moves) for years now, every
time I take him down, he reminds me of the good times we’ve shared. In
elementary school, Ted was my protector from the monsters that lived under my
bed, he was my pillow to cry on when I got in trouble and was sent to my room
for a timeout, and was a friend to talk to when days got lonely. He made
friends with my trolls, Barbies, and other stuffed animals throughout the
years. Every other stuffed animal just couldn’t match up with Ted, though. He swung
on the swing set, slid down the slide, and sat in my tree house with me. He was
my patient and student, but mostly just my constant friend.
On
my sister’s first birthday, Ted bore witness to his clone. My dad got my little
sister, Ashley, the same exact teddy bear, minus the neck stitches and maple
smell, that is, for her first birthday. We all named the new bear Ted II. I’m
unsure of Ted II’s fate, as he is now sixteen years old, and Ashley is too cool
for stuffed animals. But, my Ted was fortunate enough to survive my pre-teen,
teen, and high school years. Better yet, I was fortunate enough to have a
friend who is my constant memory to always stay young in my heart and mind. No
matter how old I get and how stressful life becomes, Ted will be waiting in my
closet for me to take him down and remember to nurture the child in my heart.
