I recently shared a post on Facebook about a stuffed bunny a child had lost at the Seattle airport. This prompted a cousin of mine to ask if I remembered my favorite childhood stuffed animal. “Of course, I remember Buster!” I replied. I don’t remember when Buster came into my life or why I named him Buster, but I remember having him. My mom tells the story of the time I forgot him at an aunt’s house out of state. At first, she told my aunt to keep him to see if I could get by without him, but that did not last long. My aunt had to mail Buster back to me.
A lot of children latch onto something that comforts them. That thing, whatever it might be, goes everywhere with them, and they especially need it to sleep at night. A lot of adults forget that children have stress just like adults do. When we think about it, we realize that a child’s life is constantly changing. One day they can walk underneath a kitchen counter, and the next they can’t. They have to transition from diapers to toilets and bottles to cups.
Children continually must give up their favorite outfits or shoes as they grow. Their teeth fall out, and for many, as soon as new teeth grow in, braces are put on them. Puberty is extremely challenging. In school, just when students start to learn one concept, they are introduced to another. Each grade has a different set of challenges, and students get new teachers every year. Kids need to figure out who they are and who they want to be, and this can make friendships begin and end. It is no wonder experts say that consistency and routine are good for children. They need the security of something constant.
Sometimes, though, even that favorite stuffed animal changes. At some point, one of Buster’s seams broke open. One of my aunts came to visit, and we asked if she could fix him. She didn’t think she could mend the seam, but she offered to make a new cover for him. He had button eyes, so they were easy to take off and put back on. This became a tradition. Every time Aunt ‘Cille came to visit, Buster got a new coat. He went from solid colors to plaids and back to solid colors. He was cotton or corduroy or something else, but he was still my Buster. He got so many coats that his legs and tail stuck straight out.
“What happened to Buster as you got older?” you might ask. This is the sad part of the story. My family moved, and somehow Buster ended up stored in the basement. I knew he was down there, but I had grown out of him by then, so I didn’t really care. That is, until the day I looked closely at him and realized that he was moldy. I was a teenager by then, but I was still sad and angry at myself. How could I have abandoned Buster in the basement? I especially think of him every time I watch a Toy Story movie. Ever since Buster’s demise, it has been my mission to warn parents and children alike to take care of those special somethings; and yes, if I see a post on Facebook about a lost bunny, I share it. Growing up is hard, and if that special something makes it better, we need to protect it.