The Forgotten Things- Patchwork Teddy

The Patchwork Teddy

   There once was a teddy bear who sat on a shelf all alone and sad. He was not the cutest of bears; in fact he was quite a sad sight to behold. One eye was glass, the other was button, and he had only one ear and a patch where the other ear used to be. He had lost most of the stuffing in his body so his head was too big and weighed him down, and he had patches all over including a big red heart patch on his chest. While all the other stuffed animals sat with their arms open ready to give a big hug, the Patchwork Teddy Bear sat with his arms down to his side afraid to even try. How did he get this way you ask? Let me tell you how.

Years ago the Bear was given to a little boy by his grandmother for his birthday. The boy was kind at first and took care of the Bear and even held him at night. But as the boy grew older he became mean and began playing too rough with the Bear. He would beat him up, throw him around, and even stepped on him a time or two, then when he was tired of the Bear he gave him to his dog as a chew toy.

One day the grandma came for a visit and saw the poor Bear lying on the ground all chewed and torn. She reached down, picked the bear up and walked to the trash can, but before she threw him in she looked at his face. One ear had been torn off, and one eye was missing, he had lost most of his stuffing, and had tares all over his body, but for some reason she just couldn't throw him away.

"I think you still have a few hugs left in you." She said and with that she took him home and began to sew him up. She gave him new stuffing and a new button eye. She sewed up the holes and tares and covered them with different color patches. Lastly she covered a large hole on his chest with a big red heart patch. Then she kissed him on the head and took him to The Little Shop.

There he was placed on a shelf with many other stuffed animals that were much newer than him. Everyday children would come and run over to the shelf and begin hugging every stuffed animal trying to find the one that fit in their arms just right. But no one ever hugged the Patchwork Teddy Bear. One by one the new stuffed animals were bought and slowly the shelf became more and more empty. One day the bear began to cry.

"No one will ever buy me. My first boy didn't want me either." He said with tears streaming down his face. "I must have done something wrong."

Just then the Patchwork Teddy Bear heard a soft gentle voice come from the other side of the shelf

"That's not true. He just couldn't see how wonderful you are."

The bear turned his head and there sitting on the shelf beside him was a little stuffed owl. She was short and round, and only had one wing, and one of her eyes was green and the other was blue.

"You did nothing wrong little bear" she said. "That boy just didn't know what love really is. You will find someone who will love you."

The Patchwork Teddy Bear lowered his head and said "I don't think so. I don't even remember how to hug. No one wants a bear who can't hug." The little owl just smiled and said "You haven't forgotten how to hug you're just out of practice. I'll bet your hug is super extra special. You just need to find someone who deserves such a special hug."

At that moment the door to The Little Shop opened and a woman walked in. She slowly made her way over to the shelf where the stuffed animals sat and began taking the best and cutest looking stuffed animals and placing them in a large basket. When she got to the Patchwork Teddy Bear she stopped. She looked at him for a moment then tilted her head and smiled. "You remind me of someone very special. He's sad too. He needs a friend and I think you are the perfect match."

The kind woman took the Patchwork Teddy Bear and the little owl and several other stuffed animals and bought them. She then drove to a large white building where many sick people were. The kind woman took the stuffed animals inside, up an elevator, and down a long hall until she reached a big room where there were children lying in beds. One by one the kind woman gave each child a stuffed animal. The little owl went to a little girl who only had one arm "She's just like you" the Patchwork Teddy Bear said as the girl hugged the little owl tightly. Then the kind woman walked to the end of the room to the very last bed where a little boy was sitting looking out the window. He was very small and thin, and had many machines and tubes attached to him, he had no hair, and his skin was blotchy and looked like he had patches all over his body.

"He looks like me" the Patchwork Teddy Bear thought as the woman walked over to the boy.

"I brought you a friend." the woman said, "He may not look like much but I think he just needs someone to love him."

The boy looked at the Bear for a moment. He saw the patches on his body, the button eye, and the missing ear. Then he touched the big red heart patch on the Bear's chest. The boy smiled and scooped the bear up into his arms.

"I'll take care of you" the boy whispered into the Bear's one ear.

The Patchwork Teddy Bear froze for a moment not knowing what to do.

Then he did something he hadn't done in a long time, he smiled and wrapped his patchwork arms around the little boy in a super extra special hug.

"Every heart is made to love, and everyone's arms were created to hug. You just have to find the one who deserves your super extra special hug."