I've had a collection of small faithful friends over the years who have always comforted me through the good and bad.
I believe the oldest is Theodore. I had a monumental and infamous temper tantrum in a furniture store in San Francisco when I first laid eyes upon him and knew that he must be mine.
As the story goes...I cried and cried for at least an hour until my parents and I reached an agreement on a payment plan. If I remember correctly, Theodore was $16...this was going to require several months of allowance from me to cover 50% (the deal). But it was well worth it.
Theodore is by far the most unusual bear I've ever had. He is bipedal, with two arms that are always in a "Shall we hug?" position. His insides are a soft foam rubber matter that make him an excellent pillow and/or neck rest.
My most favorite attribute of his are his tiger-shelled eyes and his little nose that closely resembles a light brown M&M.
The bed friend for the past 10 years has been Deja Fred...a nice fuzzy bear. He is named after me (my mother's nickname for me is Fred) and a strip joint down the road from my grandparents' old home in Seattle (the Deja Vu...home of "Fifty Beautiful Ladies and Three Ugly Ones.")
Two years ago, my parents gave me a polar bear friend for my birthday to go along with the Pacific Northwest theme of my decor. The two of them remain in my bed and usually reside at the foot of my bed. One of my favorite things is to feel their fuzzy coats between my toes. I guess it occurs most nights. It is part of my stretching out before recoiling up into my sleeping position ritual.
