I just finished making two more teddy bears for a woman whose daughter lost her teddy bear. The first time I met this woman was when I was visiting my parents in Virginia about 11 years ago. The little girl was six at that time and extremely despondent. Her beloved teddy bear had fallen apart from the necessity of being washed so many times. She needed that bear then, because it was what had helped her through all the brain surgeries and hospital stays she had already endured. I asked the little girl if she wanted her new bear to have an embroidered face, since the old one didn’t. She said yes and told me exactly what she wanted. I made it and gave it to her. She was ecstatic. The mother sent me a picture of a very happy little girl holding her new teddy bear. I never expected to hear from them again, but I was happy in the knowledge that I had helped the little girl.
About 4 years ago, the same woman contacted me again. We had moved since then and so had the little girl’s family. I was surprised she had found me. She asked me if I could make another bear for her daughter. The one I made had been lost in a move. Thankfully, I had made a pattern of the bear when I made the first one, so I told the woman it would be no problem. I made another copy and sent it off to her. Again, I thought that would be the last time I would hear from them.
About a month ago the same mother called me on the phone. Now the little girl has graduated from high school and is getting ready to go off to college. The bear has been lost again. Now the young lady doesn’t care so much about it, at least she said she didn’t. She doesn’t need the bear like she used to, but mom does. So the mother asked me to make yet another bear for her daughter to take with her to college.
Just a week before the phone call, I was clearing out some old stuff and came across the teddy bear pattern. I held it in my hand for some time trying to decide whether or not to toss it. Something told me I should keep it. I’m glad I did! When the mother mailed me the payment for the order, she enclosed a note requesting two bears this time. I called her yesterday to confirm that she received the package with the two bears in it. She had and she loves them. Her daughter’s birthday is this weekend and she plans to give her one of the bears then. I still have the first picture and asked for a new picture of her daughter with the new teddy bear.
One of my friends here was joking about how the mother is probably going to contact me again in a few years to order another bear for her new grandchild. I’ve already decided to permanently keep this teddy bear pattern. So I had to laugh when the mother told me on the phone that she thought she’d put the second teddy bear away for when she gets her first grandchild.
A pair of no longer lost teddies.
