One day when Jesse was about 5, we spotted pillows that looked like animals in K-Mart, and he fell in love with this one.
One of the joys of his young life was when his pillow was washed and dried and came out plump and fluffy.
He carried that thing everywhere: to our bed or the couch if he wasn’t feeling well, to camp, on trips. Once as were were boarding a plane, one of other passengers saw this little boy carrying his big dog pillow and smiled.
It has held up better than any pillow we have ever owned. He’s had it for almost ten years.
But he is 14 now and has been in the gradual process of “putting away childish things” over the last few years. When we hosted his twelfth birthday party, we took the last of the bear pictures off his bedroom walls before the kids in his class came over. We’ve been pulling books and toys off the shelf a little at a time that are no longer receiving any attention. I believe he took a “regular” pillow to camp last year. And just recently he told me he wanted to put away his dog pillow and get a normal one.
That’s a good step, a right step, an expected step. I wouldn’t want to him to cart his dog pillow off to college or his honeymoon.
But as a parent, there is a bit of a pang as each vestige of childhood is laid aside bit by bit.
When they are little we so anticipate the next step in their development; we sometimes even devise ways to “help” them sit up or begin to walk, and we coax that first word out with great enthusiasm! But after the long days and sleep-interrupted nights of babyhood, the blossoming curiosity of toddler days, and the busy school years, it seems like their growth is a train hurtling ever more quickly to that time when they will stand on their own two feet as an adult. We know that’s the desired end result of our years of love and training, but it comes all too fast.
There is nothing we can do to stop it, and we don’t really want to hold them back. But we smile wistfully as we remember a little boy’s delight in a warm, plumped up dog pillow fresh from the dryer.
Stray Thoughts 
I guess it’s different for girls. My niece is nineteen and still her long-loved-lamb – of the same age – gets packed in her suitcase when she goes anywhere. I was the same way.
But I am certainly dealing with a lot of those same emotions with other things here – and my oldest is only nine!
Seems like I am just adapting to this role of “mom” and things are changing on me again!
My daughter’s thing was a Baby Bop stuffed animal. I didn’t usually buy “whims” in Wal-Mart, but somehow I sensed when she saw that Baby Bop that it was more than just a whim. She carried it everywhere and it was precious to her. Now that she is 16, I miss those days.
Oh NO!!! He can’t get rid of the adorable fluffy pillow!!! NOOOOOO! It reminds me of my youngest son who will be turning 21 in June. He said he would never stop playing with lego’s but of course he did. (When I was in 6th grade I said I would never stop playing Barbies–of course I was able to play a bit more when I had kids). But one very funny note; my daughter always slept with a teddy bear. She assumed when she got married her hubby would be enough…….but she still sleeps with it even when pregnant. Ha!! I think I understand because when I was having back problems I slept with a little pillow between my legs—then as my back improved I still slept with it!! you feel kind of lost without it! Strange—it is kind of like sleeping with no sheets on—I can’t do it!!! But that pillow of your son’s is way to cooooooool —ya gotta keep it!!!
I LOVE that pillow
I have a teddy bear packed away thats as old as me
It is different with girls. One January I came home with a 24″ stuffed bear that had been $10 with a $50 purchase before Christmas but just the $10 after. It was sitting in a rocker in the living room and my daughter grabbed it on the way to her room. She named him Bijou and he went everywhere with her, band trips, college, etc. He sits in a rocker in her bedroom now and she is 37 year old Mother.
Of course I have a house full of bears so you never outgrow them.
I know its sad, perhaps he’ll let the dog pillow hang around when no one is there.
Thanks for your visit today. My Birthday is Sunday.
Mama Bear
My son had this hand made teddy bear (real ugly and deformed) which he loved. He spoke to it, gave it missions and shared many a secret with it.
Then the time came when Theodore no longer joined him where ever he went.
Then came the time when he landed on top of the wardrobe.
Then came the time it got packed away in a box to make room for Star Wars paraphenalia.
Then came the time when he wanted to spread his wings and live independently. I unpacked Theodore to give him. “No thanks”, he said.
Then came a time (about two weeks ago, actually) when he asked if I had kept Theodore?
“Of course!”
Now is the time for son to be ok with being a man and fondly remembering his love of Theodore and the good times had by all.
There is a season for everything.
*smile* … true that! My kids never actually had any attachments like that. I thought it was “odd” even when they were little! No attachments, and no fears. Oh! Derek WAS afraid of spiders…. One fear! And he did have a favorite “blanky” when he was 3 — but by the time he was 4, he was “so over that”… LOL! I wonder what a child psychologist would say about THIS!!! (I probably don’t want to know!)
That’s one cute pillow! I don’t know what happened to all my old stuffed toys, but I got myself a Hippo which is now more than 7 years old and still my bed buddy.
Mine each have blankets–some I made, some my sister made, some ‘my mom made–they’re kind of interchangeable, but it has to be one of a “certain set.” Blankets are a bit let obtrusive, but I see my boys growing so fast and it just makes me catch my breath.
What a lovely post, Barbara & what a really sweet pillow.
sniff sniff!
You summed up my feelings exactly. I don’t want him to remain little forever, but there is a little tug when a stage has passed.
I feel like, “but does it have to go SO FAST?”
stuffed animals are very cute and lovely, i bet that most kids and even women loves them .*.
i had that same pillow n wish i still had it.. i wish i could buy it