Remembering Teddys arrival

So I was outside today pushing the lawn mower. It was hot, I was sweating and I with thinking random thoughts. And it occurred to me that I have not done a great job sharing my history with the family. That history has shaped me. That history has made me into the person I am. That history is shaping my family now. I can not say it is always say it was for the good. I will try to keep theses post in chronological order but no guarentees as I believe it is more important to get them down than to make the time frame line up exactly. So here goes

I was four or five years old in 1968, 1969 and it was Christmas time. At that time the family consisted of a set of parents, two older brothers, a twin brother, two younger sisters, and a new born younger brother. Yes the math is correct eight in all. The oldest was eight or nine, the youngest was new born.

Mom was a bus driver, Dad was a school janitor, a bar room janitor, and any other thing he could do to bring in money for the family. Bus drivers and janitors do not make big money now they made less then.

It was Christmas season and there was a tree. Not much else, but a tree there was. The holiday "spirit" was not all that present. We had recently moved into a bigger house that was built in the mid 1800's. It took most of the money my folks made to keep some heat in the place. There was little expectation of something special.

It was getting really close to Christmas time and a guy I did not know but have never forgotten showed up at the house. His name was Louie Miller and he was old. He came in the front door which deposited people right in the middle of the kitchen. Big table to the right the rest of the house to the left. Louie was carrying two green trash bags. They were filled with toys, none new, but all in good shape. It did not matter because it was certainty more than we were expecting to receive.

As I remember back I was not very polite in my approach. I like all the others was truly looking for what I could get. I got my chance to dig into the bag and was happy with the present I grabbed from the bottom.

It was a stuffed teddy bear that I named Teddy. Yeah I know not an original thinker. Teddy was old and showing signed of wear but he was mine, and I was happy with him. You will hear about Teddy through out these posts. He is with me today forty years later. He has had some loving attention by my wife of twenty six years and he brings back memories. Some good some not. But those will be for another time.

We were poor, dirt poor. Our needs were met as best as possible. I learned early on to be grateful. Thank you Louie for Teddy and for being willing to give to a family in need.