Bear Cat
When Josh, my son was about 4 years old he got a stuffed animal out of the ball pit at the local grocery store. He was the only stuffed animal in there with all the colorful bouncy balls. The balls were right across from the meat aisle and when he saw the balls, he loves to play ball, he ran over there to see if he could get a ball. Then he noticed the black and white funny looking stuffed animal just sitting there in between 4 balls. He decided that he didn't want a ball he wanted him instead. So, we got him. That toy instantly became his favorite toy and almost 5 years later it still is.
When he got it his grandmother asked him what he was going to call it. She was assuming that it would be something simple. He had a frog who name was simply frogie, a snake who was snake, an orange stuffed animal whose name was orange. Once he was holding a stuffed mouse toy in an elevator at a hotel and this woman got on with us and she asked what the mouse's name was he told her mouse. So, picking out names he wasn't that creative. Well, Josh answered her and he said well, he was thinking about black bear. My mom told him that he didn't look like a bear he looked more like a cat. Josh was horrified when she said that and he almost cried. He looked at her with tears in his eyes and asked her how can she say that he is a bear. So, they went back and forth with my mom pointing out all the things that made him a cat and Josh pointing out all the things that made him a bear. After a few rounds of back and forth Josh just sort of threw up his little hands and said ok his name is Bear Cat. So, Bear Cat it was.
Over the next several years Bear Cat has went on numerous trips to the store, park, picnics, short vacations. He has been in front yards, back yards and side yards. He has been to every relative's house Josh has been too. He has went to doctor's appointments, dentist appointments and on random car rides to the car wash. He sleeps with him and watches television with him on occasion.
Bear Cat has had 3 "operations" to sew him back together when he was torn and has been in "recovery" 3 times. He is the first thing he looks for when he wakes up and the last thing he looks for to go to bed.
More then a few times I had to stop him from taking Bear Cat in the bath tub or shower. It would have been a nightmare to try to dry him with all of his operations I was afraid he wouldn't make it in the washer or dryer.
So, it safe to say Bear Cat has been through it all with Josh. And he looks it too.
When my mom suggested last Christmas that he might want to retire Bear Cat and get another "Bear Cat" Josh couldn't believe what he was hearing and he told her that was out of the question and that he was keeping Bear Cat until he was an old man and that was that. So, when his birthday rolled around last year my mom made the same suggestion and of course Josh said no and looked at her like he told her this once and why is he telling her again.
So, that brings us to this upcoming birthday next month. My mom once again, she never gives up it seems, asked Josh if he wanted to throw Bear Cat away and get a new one so I guess by this time Josh was a little tired of that same question and he told her he knows Bear Cat is old, he knows that he has lost more stuffing then he has left in his body, he knows all of that. He also knows that there will NEVER be another Bear Cat and that he will never be a boy again, a 8 year old boy again who loves his Bear Cat. He told her he knows that one day he will have to let him go but today was not the day and neither was tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. When he is ready to let him go he will and no amount of telling him will make that happen sooner.
Sometimes Joshua acts like an old soul. When he was born he reminded me of an old soul as the old folks used to say. And today just proved what I knew all along with him that you can't make him do anything like giving up a favorite toy until he his ready. And he is smart enough to know he is not ready yet.
When he got it his grandmother asked him what he was going to call it. She was assuming that it would be something simple. He had a frog who name was simply frogie, a snake who was snake, an orange stuffed animal whose name was orange. Once he was holding a stuffed mouse toy in an elevator at a hotel and this woman got on with us and she asked what the mouse's name was he told her mouse. So, picking out names he wasn't that creative. Well, Josh answered her and he said well, he was thinking about black bear. My mom told him that he didn't look like a bear he looked more like a cat. Josh was horrified when she said that and he almost cried. He looked at her with tears in his eyes and asked her how can she say that he is a bear. So, they went back and forth with my mom pointing out all the things that made him a cat and Josh pointing out all the things that made him a bear. After a few rounds of back and forth Josh just sort of threw up his little hands and said ok his name is Bear Cat. So, Bear Cat it was.
Over the next several years Bear Cat has went on numerous trips to the store, park, picnics, short vacations. He has been in front yards, back yards and side yards. He has been to every relative's house Josh has been too. He has went to doctor's appointments, dentist appointments and on random car rides to the car wash. He sleeps with him and watches television with him on occasion.
Bear Cat has had 3 "operations" to sew him back together when he was torn and has been in "recovery" 3 times. He is the first thing he looks for when he wakes up and the last thing he looks for to go to bed.
More then a few times I had to stop him from taking Bear Cat in the bath tub or shower. It would have been a nightmare to try to dry him with all of his operations I was afraid he wouldn't make it in the washer or dryer.
So, it safe to say Bear Cat has been through it all with Josh. And he looks it too.
When my mom suggested last Christmas that he might want to retire Bear Cat and get another "Bear Cat" Josh couldn't believe what he was hearing and he told her that was out of the question and that he was keeping Bear Cat until he was an old man and that was that. So, when his birthday rolled around last year my mom made the same suggestion and of course Josh said no and looked at her like he told her this once and why is he telling her again.
So, that brings us to this upcoming birthday next month. My mom once again, she never gives up it seems, asked Josh if he wanted to throw Bear Cat away and get a new one so I guess by this time Josh was a little tired of that same question and he told her he knows Bear Cat is old, he knows that he has lost more stuffing then he has left in his body, he knows all of that. He also knows that there will NEVER be another Bear Cat and that he will never be a boy again, a 8 year old boy again who loves his Bear Cat. He told her he knows that one day he will have to let him go but today was not the day and neither was tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. When he is ready to let him go he will and no amount of telling him will make that happen sooner.
Sometimes Joshua acts like an old soul. When he was born he reminded me of an old soul as the old folks used to say. And today just proved what I knew all along with him that you can't make him do anything like giving up a favorite toy until he his ready. And he is smart enough to know he is not ready yet.
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