My youngest daughter has a favorite stuffed animal. Mi-Mi is a light blue Care Bear with a shooting star on her stomach. She’s the Wish Bear, and for as long as I can remember, my little girl has been carrying this bear around. I have photos from her 1st birthday party, my baby girl smiling at the camera, cake and ice cream spread liberally across her face, and Mi-Mi dangling from one precious little hand.
Before Mi-Mi came to live with us, she belonged to my niece, and had found herself stored in the basement at Grandma’s house. I don’t know if it was the good humor you can see shining out of her big blue eyes, or the way her fur smelled faintly of fabric softener mixed with mothballs, but when my baby girl saw that bear, it was love at first sight. She has been a constant companion every day since, only separating for trips to pre-school or into a store.
Last Christmas, we tried unsuccessfully to interest our youngest girl in other care bears, as Mi-Mi was starting to show her age and we weren’t sure how much longer she could withstand our little girl’s attention. Santa brought no less than 4 new bears for her inspection. She laughed and played with these new friends that morning, but when it was time to climb in the van and head for grandma’s, she grabbed Mi-Mi. And that was that. This bear has seen her through illness, has been dragged through sand, dirt, and mud puddles, and has remarkably held up to numerous trips through the gentle cycle of our washing machine. At this point, Mi-Mi is as important to us as she is to our little girl. Last fall, Moose snuck Mi-Mi into a corner, and we feared the worst, only to realize that Moose just wanted a little snuggle time with this truly affectionate bear.
In our family picture last year, Mi-Mi was held tightly by our youngest daughter. You can see the way her fur is matted together, the way her body kind of droops down, her filling not being as robust as it once was. You can see that her color has faded in spots, and the stains left from years of tea parties, painting sessions, and camping trips. You can see the inevitable signs of time taking its due, the way it does on all of us, eventually. And you can see the love and affection that has filled her days. It’s good to be Mi-Mi.
As we start the new year and make new goals and promises to ourselves and our loved ones, it’s also good to appreciate what we have. There are so many things in life that give us comfort that have little to do with money or prestige. So good luck this week as you start working towards your 2016 resolutions. If you need some help on the financial side of things, I recommend visiting Afena to get started. And if you’re working on your fitness, your home, or your relationships, I wish you all the best, and I hope that you have a Mi-Mi of your own to make the journey with you. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.