Please look after this bear

Oh the irony.

Grandad was popping round with Iris' cot today (a hand me down from the Edges) so I asked him to bring Mum's Paddington bear with him.

Dad bought it Mum before they got married from Brixham. He was in a shop window when they were on holidaying in Torquay but the shop was closed. Mum was not at all a materialistic lady and had very little when she was young (one roller skate was always a joke between us) so it was rare something like this caught her eye. So the next morning she made Dad skip his hotel breakfast and go buy him before anyone else did.

Anyway, a good few years later my sister came along and she too got a Gabrielle Paddington (but with a less cool blue coat and red wellies) so Mum always said when she dies Paddington is for me.

So this morning I get a call from Dad saying Paddington was no where to be seen which was very worrying as he was last seen the day we put Mum's clothes in charity bags leaving Dad to take them to Mary Stevens Hospice charity shop. There were tears today. From me and Dad. I didn't blame him at all, I shouldn't have left him bagged up in that room. I phoned the Hospice to ask if they had seen him but the lady said she hadn't but he would have been long gone by now. I cried to the lady and then checked eBay for him.

We made up Iris' cot and headed for Dad's for one last look. I found him. In a white bag, on the spare bed where I said he would be. Thank god. The sense of relief just for a stuff bear was immense. However, it has just made Dad think he is losing the plot even more.

Reasons to be cheerful:

A very emotional filled day ending with a bear safely home. He has Dunlop wellies!!!!