What's the Story?

What’s the Story? 9th Sept

One of my favourite blogging friends Tina at The Soup Dragon Says mentioned something on Instagram this morning about National Teddy Bear Day and it gave me some inspiration for my What’s the Story? post for this week.

Meet Grandpa Bear …..

What's the Story?
Grandpa Bear

Grandpa Bear belonged to Daddy P’s Dad.  Daddy P was the ‘mistake’ of the family, 20 years younger than his brother and sister – oops! So it meant that his Dad was obviously an older Dad.  When I met Daddy P, his Dad was nearly 90.  He was a lovely old man, I couldn’t help but think of him as a Granddad rather than a Dad to my OH.  Anyway, Grandpa P had a little collection of soft toys including this lovely bear.

Sadly in July 2009 just after his 91st birthday, he had a nasty fall and broke his hip, he caught pneumonia and never recovered.  We were all obviously devastated when he passed away.  He’d been so looking forward to our wedding, he was very close to Daddy P, and he knew he was going to have another grandchild (the others are all grown up and have had children of their own).

When we were helping to clear Grandpa P’s house out, my SIL came up to me with this lovely bear, Grandpa Bear as I’ve called him, and said that my ‘bump’ should have him, a present from the Grandpa he or she would never meet.

As I’ve mentioned before, when Grandpa P died, I already had it in my head to name bump after him, if bump was a boy.  He was and we did.  Grandpa Bear has sat in my son’s bedroom ever since he arrived.  For the first few months, Grandpa Bear waited patiently, keeping his bedroom in order for when he moved in.  Three months later and my son had outgrown his Moses basket, and we transferred him to his cotbed.  Grandpa Bear has slept at the bottom of his cot bed and now bed, every night since then.

We talk to him about all of his grandparents a lot.  We have photo’s up in our Living Room of all of them, and I’ve explained that Grandpa Bear was a very special present from Monkey’s Grandpa who would have loved to have given it to him, himself.  Some things aren’t meant to be.

 

14 thoughts on “What’s the Story? 9th Sept

  1. That’s so sweet, and a lovely story, my bears approve of Grandpa. My bear was my Nan’s bear, someone very special for me, and yes I really did have to dust him off. It seemed only fitting that he sit with the newest bear in the house “Hola” a gift from my sons infant school, wishing him luck on his way to Junior school.

    1. I love bears, I was heartbroken when I came home from school and Mum had got rid of my Teddy (yellow and white) and Panda (black and white – obv) that matched and were totally threadbare but I had had them all my life. Never forgiven her for that!

  2. A sad but amazing story Mary. It’s great that Monkey has that connection through Grandpa bear – he’s a great bear! I love that he waited for Monkey until he was in his own bedroom. A lovely post, thank you so much for sharing with #whatsthestory

    1. Thank you. Grandpa Bear has great manners, he sat patiently in Monkey’s cot until he was big enough to join him. I like to think that Gramps P is keeping an eye on Monkey through that bear, but I’m just a soppy old fool 🙂

  3. awww what a beautiful story about a wonderful man and his bear. How wonderful that Daddy P and Monkey still have a connection to Grandpa P through the teddy bear. x

    1. The family call him that – but not in the way you mean – his Mum thought she’d started the menopause, so it’s meant as her ‘mistake’ rather than him being a mistake. Probably should have clarified that point 🙂

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