Christmas is always a magical time of year, and even more so for children. In fact, that’s one of the things I miss about my kids being little. They still enjoy the season, but they don’t have the same kind of wonder they used to.
I’ve been spending the last couple of months rearranging my office, and I finally have a good place for an old friend of mine. Meet Fudge Bear.
I was in first grade when my parents and I were grocery shopping at our local membership warehouse. I spotted a huge cardboard box filled with the most adorable teddy bears. I was absolutely in love with the tweed bowties, noses, and paws! It broke my heart not to go home with one, but I made sure to talk to Santa about it.
To my delight, I got my very own bear on Christmas Day that year. I knew there had been a big bin of them at the store, but I was quite sure that mine was made by elves up in Santa’s workshop.
Over the years, and with several moves, a lot of my childhood possessions have been lost to time. Fudge, fortunately, isn’t one of them. He’s been on my bed, in the back of the closet, mixed in with my daughter’s stuffed animals, and seated on a random chair. Now he gets to stay in my office. Sometimes he’s in my desk chair, or in the reading chair, or on the blanket trunk, but he always has a place here.
Merry Christmas from Fudge Bear!
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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
Ashley O'Melia, Author 