I'm so happy I read your story Swan. I'm teary eyed now but somehow this story made me a bit more cheerfull today. Which I could use right about now.
My oldest stuffed animal is a monkey. My mom got him when I wasn't even born yet. And it waited patiently for me to arrive in a corner of my crib. And to this day it has never left my bed side. Its felt with cloth and has hay in its head for stuffing. Which has let me to almost lose him when I needed him the most. I was still a little girl and had a bad case of the flue. He as always, kept me company. But in an instant my stomage told me it no longer wanted to contain my breakfast... And I was to late getting Aapie out of the way... Mom didn't think he would make it out of the washingmachine in one piece... But we needed to try anyway because I was not ready for him to leave my side. He did make it but he was torn and battered heavely. His felted hands and face were torn and all. My mom patched him up as good as could. And I promised him I would be carefull with him from now on cause this whole episode gave me quit the scare.
And heres Aapie today:
Aapie by lifspics, on Flickr