What problems do I have?
My teddy bear was named love you bear. He was the last present my parents got me for valentines day before they got divorced. He was dressed like a little devil with red horns on either ear, a red cape, and a little red heart he was holding with both hands that said: “love you”. I have so many memories and stories buried in the heart of my bear. I’ve lived through so many stages of my life with my bear by my side.
Having a teddy bear or another comfort object can be instrumental to a child’s ability to cope with things going on in their lives. Often, a comfort object will be tied to a sense of safety or a time in their life that brings them comfort (before anything ever went wrong and it always felt safe.) For me, I got my teddy bear back in a time when I had so many good childhood memories (honestly some of my only good childhood memories). I have memories of Christmas scavenger hunts, easter mornings, family game nights, and vacations. Being able to relate hugging or laying with my teddy bear to those feelings of family and safety offered a sense of relief from reality even when I didn’t understand what that meant.
That beat-up little bear may not seem like much, and maybe he wasn’t really, but the feeling I got when I held him after a long day or even a good day was all I needed as a kid. Honestly, I can’t remember what it felt like when things were bad as a kid except for a few short flashes of memories holding my bear to fall asleep. I do, however, have lots of memories of my bear as I grew older. Specifically, throughout the worst relationship of my life. I was in a physically and emotionally abusive relationship and it was hard to deal with, but every once in a while I got to lay down and go to sleep with my bear in my arms. I was living away from home and didn’t have any connection to my family or anything else I knew my whole life, but I had my bear. Almost all of the time during that relationship, especially while I was living away from home I felt as though I had lost myself, but I would hug my bear and for just a second I was brought back. I got quick memories and flashes of emotions, safety, and comfort that I didn’t have anywhere else. From the outside, that bear who was missing a horn and had a torn-up cape didn’t mean much, but to me; that bear saved my life.
