Seymour the Sympathetic Squirrel

This is Seymour. I, a 53-year-old woman, bought him for myself at Target yesterday. Why, you ask? Good question. First of all, do you see that little acorn? And he has a fluffy tail. And he is very huggable. But really, none of those are the real reason.

My daughter, who is 18, still loves stuffed animals. She buys them regularly and usually goes to sleep hugging one. They bring her joy. She has been telling me for a long time that I need a stuffed animal for when I am having a bad day. I would admire them when she showed them to me but I would scoff at the idea of buying one for myself. I’m middle-aged. It would be silly. It is a waste of money. Yes, they are cute but I don’t need one.

This conversation has been going on for literally years at this point. I am tempted but keep resisting. She is relentless. Lately, there have been several very, very stressful things going on in our lives. When my daughter and I stopped in at Target she continued her campaign and I made my usual responses.

Finally, she looked at me and said “Mom, I am 18. At what age do I have to give up stuffed animals? What arbitrary age is there where you have to stop doing things even though they make you happy?”

She really made me think. Why do I think that it is silly to buy a stuffed animal? What age is too old to find comfort in hugging a stuffed squirrel? Isn’t life about doing the silly things that make you happy?

So, I bought him. I brought him home and introduced him to my family. (I made my husband and son hug him.) I named him. I found joy in him.

I am 53 years old and I just learned a lot from my 18-year-old daughter.

Seymour and I appreciate her.