Years ago, when Gail had some of her first surgeries, when Gord had his little trauma, and when the girls got sick, the big thing that I tried to do was to ensure that they (and some other interesting people along the way) got teddy bears. And not just the cheapo kind! They got, as often as possible, Gunds, or some other personality bear. At one point, Gord got a Humphrey Beargart… you know the type of thing.

Well, I told Jennifer and her buddies Leisha and Lane tonight, that they weren’t allowed at the hospital without a teddy bear. But not just any teddy bear. I told them that I want them to go to the Build-a-Bear Workshop and put together something that is about them and their personality; a bear that will remind me of who they are. This ‘Build-a-Bear’ thing is kinda cute, really. As I understand it, you chose the exterior of your bear from a selection of styles and types, and then chose the ‘heart’, a store helper fills the bear with stuffing, and, depending on the money you want to invest, you dress the bear. Flowers are nice, but I’m thinking that personalized teddy bears from a few close friends will mean a great deal if this damned thing gets worse…

I’m thinking of taking a quick trip to West Edmonton Mall to see the store, decide if its really appropriate, and then see how many of our friends, family and supporters I can convince to build personal, personality bears…