A post dedicated to Teddy

“Gracie had a teddy bear,
Her fur was chocolate brown,
And everywhere that Gracie went,
The bear was sure to go.”

What is the magic that turns the floppiest little bear into a very real, loyal and trusted companion?

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you.
When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with,
but REALLY loves you,then you become Real."

― Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

*****

Meet Teddy.

She belongs to this little girl.

Some facts we know about Teddy so far…

Teddy is a girl. So says her owner and best pal, Gracie.

She likes to drink tea. Pretend tea.

She enjoys reading books.

She likes to watch ‘Playschool’. And ‘Frozen’. And ‘Tinkerbell’. Well, pretty much whatever her pal Gracie likes, she likes too.

She likes to go to sleep. Only at the same time as her pal, Gracie.

And she likes waking up. Next to Gracie. Of course.

She misses her Gracie very much whenever she goes out. But waits patiently for her return every single time.

She doesn’t mind being tossed into the air and caught―or sometimes not. (Although this game is always strongly discouraged for poor Teddy’s sake).

She doesn’t mind being stuffed in a bag and swung about.

She doesn’t mind having her nose, ears, paws or any part of her body chomped by itchy toddler teeth.

And she doesn’t mind being used as a handkerchief―which sometimes happens when her Gracie gets really sad or upset. Teddy will retreat into a corner with dear little Gracie and soak up each tear and just listen quietly to Gracie pour out all her troubles.

Thankfully, Teddy doesn’t mind being tossed into the washing machine every now and then and hung up to dry in the sun by her ears.

"There are few sadder sights than a wet bear hanging from a clothesline by its ears.
It says a lot for them that they never complain."
―Pam Brown

*****

One day Gracie’s mummy saw little Gracie, rubbing her face all over teddy and sniffing her to bits.
“I love to smell Teddy!” said Gracie to her mummy.
“Do you? What does Teddy smell like?” asked mummy.
“She smells like Gracie!”

Teddy is always happy to play along with anything Gracie proposes. Whether it’s being a guest at a tea party. Or having her nappy changed. Or having her furry ears trimmed at the hairdresser’s.