More Than a Teddy Bear

It was two weeks after my mother passed away. I was a mess. I was listening to her phone messages over and over, and I was so very sad. In two weeks my twins and my oldest would have their birthday. I did not want to party.and I knew they would be missing Grandma MOE on their special day. She spoiled them something crazy for their birthdays.

Then suddenly, like a vision, clear as day, I knew a present I could give them all. Something special, something full of love and something only Grandma MOE could give them.

I called up my friend, Xenia Paterson, owner of Teddy Bear Loft, and asked her if she had any special teddy bears. After looking at her collection, I found the perfect one: a plush white teddy bear with soft angel wings. I ordered three as well as three sound chips.

As soon as they arrived, I hid them from the children, and when they were not home I took all three sound chips and got to work. Each sound chip received a different recording of Grandma MOE’s messages to them on the answering machine. Since our oldest is the voice on our answering machine recording, Grandma MOE always left messages directly to him and the twins. I couldn’t think of anything better to gift them.

“Hi my beauty boys, I love you!”, “Kisses, to the end of the world and back”, “You’re voice makes me smile”.

It came to me like a lightning bolt, almost as if my mother was guiding me to do it. On the morning of their birthdays, I had all three bears stuffed and ready for hugs. I told them Grandma MOE did help me make these, and that any time they missed Grandma and wanted a hug from her, they could hug their bear and hear her voice.

Their eyes lit up when they hugged each bear for the first time. And they keep their bears in a special place in their rooms. And every now and then, I hear my mother’s voice in the house, and know they are missing her.