Obituaries
An offshoot of Moving, Pt. 1.
Took a page out of Marie Kondo’s book while sorting out my stuffed animals. We’ve all heard of her “spark joy” comment. If something doesn’t spark joy, get rid of it. Great logic! Why keep something around if you don’t like it? But then big sappy romantics like me run into trouble. Everything I own sparks some type of joy in me! That’s why I own it, why I hoard things, because how could I get rid of something that means so much to me?
But that’s where it gets more complex. Rather than simply throwing things out, she tells us to thank each item for serving it’s purpose. So that’s what we’re doing here. I don’t think I can do all of them without bursting into tears again. Emotionally, I’m feeling a little fragile. But it would be very remiss of me to not give you the the highlights.
“But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future.”
Nikki’s Bear (I) (ca. 2004)
A Build-A-Bear from 2004 - I was six. In it’s left paw is a sound box. It doesn’t work anymore, but it used to be a child’s laugh. Slightly creepy at times (wouldn’t recommend hitting it in your sleep), but a sweet thought. It was introduced in honor of a little girl, Nikki, who passed away to bone cancer. Very soft and fluffy. Sat on my bed for many years. Thanks for keeping me company always, buddy.
Toothless (ca. 2018)
Absolutely precious. I loved How to Train Your Dragon - what a sweet, wholesome movie about dragons. I’ve always loved dragons, enough that I got one drawn on my body forever. I saw this one in the store one day just recently, and I couldn’t help it. He sat between my head and nightstand for many moons, guarding me from smacking my head on the hard corners of the nightstand. With his tail and wings, he was just too bulky to continue carrying along. Long live Toothless!!!
Eeyore (ca. 2010)
Got this lil round boy from Disney World once. Eeyore is one of my favorite animated characters in the world. He just always spoke to me. Just a lil guy doing his absolute best to get through life. This Eeyore was well-loved, if you couldn’t tell from the rogue string coming out of his face. I think at one point that was part of his nose, but now it’s just hanging there. He also has a velcro tail so he can “lose” it. Unbelievably soft and squishy. I’ll miss you, Eeyore. :)
Panda Collection (ca. 1998-2018)
This is not an entirely accurate image, because 1) this is not the full panda collection, and 2) I didn’t even get rid of all the pictured pandas. In fact, I kept five of them! However, I had to take a family picture before I put them up for adoption. Pandas are absolutely my favorite animal in the world. I am obsessed with them. Anyone who knows me at all is probably not the least bit surprised. I’ve been collecting them since I was born. The really crusty looking one with the pink bow was given to me as a present at my mother’s baby shower. And I’m sure you recognize Pan, front and center, who travels with me everywhere I go. But all the others have their own stories, too, and I remember where I got all of them. Some of them were gifts; some of them, I hunted down myself. Regardless, I love each and every single one of them. I hope every child who gets them after me loves them even more than I did. :)
“Just because you dispose of something does not mean you give up past experiences or your identity.”
