by Prof. Felicia Hartwick » Sun Jan 29, 2023 4:10 am
I've lost things, but nothing that had a deep me... but I did lose something that had a deep meaning to my youngest daughter.
My family and I had gone down to visit my parents one Easter. After spending a lovely day of egg hunts, card games and good food, we headed home. We piled into the car and set off for home. The kids (ages 3, 5, and 9) fell asleep by the time we reached the highway. Midway home, one of them woke up and announced they had to go to the bathroom, so at the first rest stop, we stop. Everyone makes the trip into the rest stop to use the bathroom and then we loaded up back into the car. And that's where I believe we lost "Mouse Mouse", my youngest's stuffed toy. Some how, getting out of the car or back into the car "Mouse Mouse" must have fallen out of the car and no one noticed. It was a daily big stuffed animal so it would have been hard not to see it so we have no idea what happened to it. Was it under the car? Did someone find it while we were using the restrooms and decided it was a cute toy and took it for themselves? I don't know. All I know... it didn't make it home with us.
We get home carry everyone into the house and into bed and that's when I noticed we didn't have "Mouse Mouse." I called my mom to see if we left it there. No luck. We checked the car and double checked the car. Nothing. I dreaded the next morning when she would ask for for "Mouse Mouse." As I knew, she cried and was upset. You see she had the stuffed toy since she was 1 year old and took that thing everywhere. It took a couple of days, but she finally latched on to another stuffed animal but it really wasn't the same.
Fast forward, 13 years later, Christmas morning. The last present to be opened was one to the youngest. The tag on the gift read, "I finally made it back from the biggest adventure I've ever been on." Before she even opened it, the tears started to fall from her eyes. Through the tears, she mumbled, "I know what this is! I know what this is!" She unwrapped the gift, saw "Mouse Mouse" and cried harder.
Now, I must tell you, it wasn't the original "Mouse Mouse", but one I found on eBay! And I have to tell you, I was also in tears watching her open that gift. She took "Mouse Mouse with her when she went away to college, and moved to NYC. That stuffed animal meant so much to her and me!