I spent the week and much of the weekend entirely consumed with John and Abigail's story. More about love and friendship than I realized, it has evoked tears and laughter and prompted me to plan a trip to visit their home in Quincy. Their story has truly touched my heart and I'm indebted to David McCullough for making it accessible through his book. Their love letters, which are passionate and numerous, particularly during the periods in their lives when they were apart, even compelled me to take time to add a line to my own love story, one I share with Jason. Arranging a date night meant, for the boys, a long overdue sleep over at Auntie and Uncle's, and an extended stay for Gingerbread Man.
It's impossible to know which stuffy the boys will bond with, and which will be tossed aside. What makes one stuffy the sweet favorite who gets carried and cuddled, another a mean spirited bully who needs to be
separated from the others, or another void of any personality, and thus not given a second thought, is a beautiful mystery.
When the iridescent red paper was peeled away it revealed two stuffed bears, one white and one brown, each topped with a Santa hat and clutching a small gingerbread man. Possessing that intangible quality that makes them lovable, the bears were immediately introduced to our large family of stuffies, and were embraced by all.
Later that evening, as I read aloud the latest installment of Klondike Kid, Four sat on the floor with his new bear, discretely up to something. When he jumped up with scissors in one hand, Gingerbread Man in the other yelling, "He's free! He's free! I freed Gingerbread Man!", we knew we were witnessing the beginning of a special friendship. It came as no surprise, then, that before the boys came home from their sleep over with Auntie, Four announced that Gingerbread Man would stay behind "to keep Auntie and Uncle company, so they won't be lonely".
The first stuffy to have a private sleep over with Auntie was his much loved Lobstery. Auntie was instructed to feed Lobstery cheese and brownies, and to allow him to sit on her shoulder as she cooked so he could watch. From this was born Auntie's idea of creating the Lobster Blog, in an effort to keep Four abreast of his stuffies' adventures while in her tender car. While we await this blog, I will relay their experiences and the pictures Auntie sends via this new tag, Lobster Chronicles.
This weekend the instructions regarding Gingerbread Man's diet and care were no less specific than those for Lobstery. Gingerbread Man is to eat, of course, cinnamon. He will also eat pancakes, as long as they are made with his favorite spice. When, on Monday afternoon, Four realized he had forgotten to provide Gingerbread Man's napping schedule, he quickly called Auntie to report this information.
That Four selects only his most loved stuffed animals to be cared for and nurtured by Auntie and Uncle, and that the idea was his alone, is just the sweetest thing. He is giving them the most precious gift he can give - a stuffy that he loves and that brings him joy. And this separation makes his heart grow fonder, as he wonders out loud what they are up to at Auntie's house.
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