My Teddy and Your Teddy

Dearest Harper,

Aunt Janet's gift and a little story...

For my first birthday, Aunt Janet gave me my Teddy, who, I'm only a little ashamed to admit I still sleep with at the age of 36+ years. After 35+ years of love, you can probably guess that my Teddy is the one on the left.

Last night, Aunt Janet gave you your own Teddy, which I think is a beautiful, touching, full circle gift. I hugged her long and hard and only cried a little.

Rest assured, Harper's Teddy, my Teddy once looked like you - white, and clean, with soft fur all over his body. If you're lucky though, Harper will love you the way I love my Teddy, and in time, everyone who looks at you will know how loved you are. Because Margery Williams said it best when she wrote The Velveteen Rabbit: "Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Here's to hoping you love your Teddy enough to make him Real, my sweet girl.

I love you,

Mommy

UPDATE: April 28, 2022 We had been promising you a stuffed animal from the Disney Store for a while, and we finally made it happen. Your favorite movie at the time was Monsters Inc, so we told you we'd get you a Sulley. 

PICTURE

As it turns out, Sulley is your very most favorite, and he is well on the road to becoming Real.