Teddy Bear

People might think a teddy bear has no meaning, it’s just any stuffed animal. The teddy I own is way more than just a teddy bear; it keeps me strong and it helps me cope with my feelings when I’m down. The bear makes me feel like everything is going to be fine.

My dad got deported about six years ago, and the teddy bear was the last thing he was able to give me. That is why it keeps me going because it reminds me of how my dad was able to make my life the best that he could. The bear makes me feel like a part of him is with me. My dad was a very hard working man; he worked day and night to keep a roof over my head and a room to sleep in. When I was younger, I wouldn’t last a night without sleeping with it because it made me feel like my dad was with me. The times when I lost it, I wouldn’t stop crying until it was found.

The pandemic has made it a little harder for me because I have to wait to visit my dad in Mexico, but this teddy bear reminds me to never give up even when bad times come. It’s a reminder that I am capable of dealing with so much because I have already overcome my dad getting deported, which has been one of the biggest things that has happened to me. It also reminds me to make my parents happy and proud by graduating, doing my best, and not giving up. The smallest things could have the biggest stories behind them. You wouldn’t have known this If I had never shared my story, you would have thought it was just an old bear.

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This piece was originally published in 826LA’s Finding Our Way.