With Christmas approaching I thought I would share a memory I have that has meant the most to me for the last 19 years. People tend to think stuffed animals are a waste of money, and that children tend to get rid of them after they’ve had their fill. I can’t tell you how wrong that is! For me, stuffed animals are important and I still own many, but there’s many reasons why and that’s a story for another day. Today, I’d like to share the greatest gift I’ve ever received that has been in my house for years.

One night while eating our kids meals from McDonalds we sat at our little wicker table watching Mulan for the first time since seeing it in theaters. I was drawn to the bright colors, elegant artwork and most importantly the character Mushu. His spunky personality and comical relief brought joy to me while also making the movie much more fun to watch. I remember after watching the movie that I ran to the kitchen window and looked at the single star in the sky and wished for a Mushu of my very own. Remember this as I progress in this cute story.

At the age of 5 I was a firework of imagination; always playing and spending time with my family was big for me. My older sister and I did just about everything together- we had most of the same friends, we played with our dolls and ran around in the backyard screaming our heads off when we saw a bee. Days after watching the movie, my sister was invited to a sleepover the upcoming weekend- for the first time I wasn’t invited with her. Worried that I was going to be upset, my mom called my grandfather and asked him to take me to the Disney store (aka my happy place).

My grandpa was an amazing person, I grew up practically at his and my grandma’s house as everyone was super close. My grandma and my grandpa moved Heaven and Earth for us, just because they loved us and wanted to see us happy.

That weekend he came by to pick me up and drove me to the Disney store, letting me adventure through the store and marvel at all of its wonder. At the back of the store there was a large screen that took up most of the wall, playing Disney shorts and cartoons on an endless loop. Under the screen was a stacked mountain of plush toys that to a child, could almost reach the sky. In that pile at it’s center… was a Mushu plush toy. My grandpa bought it for me and I cuddled it on the way home.

Here I am almost 25 years old and the Mushu plush sits on my armoire among my other Disney plush toys. Compared to my newer ones he is raggedy and showing his true age with thinning whiskers and stains. My mom tells me that when I got the plush my grandpa was shocked that a plush toy was $20 and that it was a lot of money, but that seeing how happy it made me had made the trip worth it. If only he could see how much that one gesture meant to me. Nineteen years and this plush has seen play dates, tears, joy and helps me grieve when I miss the warmth of my grandpa. So many years and it was also the inspiration that drove me to draw the characters I love so much. I guess you never know the true meaning of a gift until later down the road, and how much one small act of kindness could create a ripple that creates memories and moments that last forever.