When I was very young, like just about right out of the gate, so to speak, my mother put me in my shinny new black carriage, & walked from our home in Huntington Woods all the way into Downtown Detroit. I'm thinking these places don't look, or even feel the same as they did back then….in the olden days!

Since Detroit wasn't just around the corner, this must have been an exhausting day trip for mother. After all while I slept like a baby, she walked!

Mother told me we went to J.L.Hudsons for a very special addition to my life. As we negotiated the carriage through the isles of this big department store, we ended up in the Toy Section. Now that I'm thinking about it, the toy section was an entire floor just like in Miracle on 34th Street. You remember that movie, it's been on TV every year for the last 100 years at Christmas time. One can't miss it, nor can we avoid it!

As we entered this wondrous toy floor, I must have sensed magic was about to happen, even at the tender young age of we'll say six weeks! Mother looked all around, this was not a quick process. She was looking for something very special! I couldn't really see much from the position I was in. That would be, unable to sit-up, wrapped in a soft pink blanket, & then there was the netting covering the buggy. The netting made everything look a little foggy. So you see my problem?

Finally we stopped, Mother must have spotted something of interest. I could hear her oooing, & awing. I also felt my little tummy getting excited, something was about to happen…..But What?

All of a sudden the net flew back, fresh air blew in, & right in front on my little blue eyes was the most beautiful brown, & tan bear. He had floppy ears, & a tiny floppy tail. His arms, & legs weren't hinged, they were sewin so he was very soft, & flexable. My tiny little arms, & legs started to move around in excitement. I could just feel Mothers excitement when she showed the bear to me, & judging from my response, Mother had found what she was looking for!

On the long walk home, which by the way seemed to take forever, I cuddled with my new forever friend. He kept me warm, I would never be alone, we would have long conversations about which was yet to be decided! I would name him, wait for it, wait for it……"Teddy!"

Teddy turned out to really be my forever friend. He went with me for he first several years of our lives, & after that waited in our room for me to return home from school.

Since getting out of school, my life has been full, I've had three wonderful children who played with Teddy. I now have four grandchildren, & sadly Teddy just isn't up for a lot of playing these days, but we still live together.

Since Teddy & I are about the same age, we've both aged somewhat the same. We have a few wrinkles, I have more wrinkles, but, both of us have thinning hair. Teddy's seems to be a bit more thinning than mine, I think I sniffed most of his fur off in the first five years. I have more fluff than he has. My ears are still on the side of my head, where as Teddy's have gotten floppy, & bald! He is still dressed in PJ's, & is quite comfortable that way. I personally try to find clothes that feel likePJ's, but look like I'm all dressed up!

As we both age, I'm so grateful we still have each other, we can still talk when we are alone, we understand each other & that's huge for a bear.

I remember those days as best I can seeing that I was so young, but it really doesn't seem like seventy years ago, it seems like just yesterday!

This is what I remember most fondly from my early childhood! The importance of a good forever friend!