Monday, December 6, 2010

Objects of Affection

My friend Robert sent me a text picture of his beautiful German Shorthair Pointer, Maggie, a few nights ago.  She is under a blankie with her paws wrapped around her Snoopy stuffed animal, one of Dad's favorites!  What a tender moment indeed.  This family is in need of peace this holiday season, with another of their canine pack ill.  The picture got me thinking about our own attachments, and what they signify in our lives.

When I was a young girl, I had many stuffed animals.  These were my toys of choice, valuing them above all others.  Some specific ones were even more valued, and I rarely parted ways with them if I could help it.  I assigned them feelings, clearly extensions of my own feelings.  I gave them "food" and "water" and lots of love.  Always treating them as though they were living, breathing beings needing care.  I had a great deal of empathy for them and was attached to them.  I remember my grandmother sewing me (by hand) a dress for my Monchichi doll (my absolute favorite) and then teaching me how to sew a second dress for her.  My father would tuck me into bed by "making them talk".  He would mimic their voices and they would show me the "Proper Way of Getting Into Bed".  Often I would foil his efforts and he would have to start over.  This was a fun game we played and I learned to look forward to bedtime.

As I grew, these stuffed animal attachments waned.  I brought home a hamster and then 2 cats of my very own that were far more interesting than any stuffed animal could ever be.  I was gentle and giving with these cats.  They could do no wrong in my eyes.  Were these the "stuffed animals" of my early childhood?  Was I already predisposed to loving animals from my earlier attachments?  Try not to laugh now - I still have 1 German Shepherd stuffie which I sleep with every night - "Puddles" as she remimds me of my 1st GSD, Tank,  that passed away years ago

The girls have favorite toys.  They will prance around with them and sometimes sleep with them, but mostly it's the waking hours that they'll seek them out.  Sometimes frozen in time, stuffed animal in her mouth, Nyxie will alert to some outside sound.  Her ears will cock and the fun of playtime is put on hold.  How heartwarming this is!  That split second between carefree fun and "PERIMETER ALERT!".

I'm glad that I haven't grown out of my attachments to animals.  It is part of my foundation, my fabric.  My Objects of Affection are very much real, and alive and I am thankful for them.

And after all this, I forgot to add the picture of Maggie with her Snoopy!!!  Here she is:




11 comments:

  1. Ooooooh - you just gave the Momster a really good feeling all over - memories of similar loves:)

    Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

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  2. Very well written.:)

    Love,
    Teddy Bear

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  3. Bravo!

    Nice memories shared!

    No favourite stuffies here but Khousin Merdie has several!

    Hugz&Khysses,
    Khyra

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  4. Interesting idea. I too had loads of stuffed animals, and I was lucky enough to have parents who got us real pets too. I remember monchichi...

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  5. I too had tons of stuffed animals, never cared for dolls. Animals have been part of my life since my mom was pregnant with me. It has definetly carried over, all the way over! :)

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  6. This post made me smile as my Rosie sounds exactly like you. Keep your attachments to animals with your pure heart, your pets know it and that's why they love you and adore you.

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  7. I added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit mine and become a follower if you want to.

    God Bless You :-)

    ~Ron

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  8. Awwwww. I had a very similar background as you. And, although my parents weren't huge animal lovers, I somehow turned into a dog-crazy person! Like you, they are part of the fabric of my life.

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  9. Wonderful post, and I also felt it mirrored a bit of myself (although I must admit to still having many of my stuffed animals - I couldn't bear parting with them for all the memories they hold, and my friends' ferrets play with them when they visit).

    The photo of Maggie holding her Snoopy is so sweet.

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  10. That last photo... I can't get over the cuteness!

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