When Friends Grow Apart

By LZ (LZ@mymessyparadise.com)

If you know M, you know her best friend in the whole wide world. Minnie Mouse. She doesn’t go anywhere without Minnie. Minnie comes on every drive, is outside every minute that we are, goes to school every day, hangs out in the bathroom during bath time. Minnie has been her best friend for over 3 years, and it shows. She’s wearing out, her dress is in shreds, her white parts are very gray, and I’ve had to re-attach her tail. Twice.

When M first started showing an attachment to Minnie, I ran out and bought 2 back ups. I’ve heard the horror stories of people losing their kids’ beloved stuffed animals, and the sleepless nights and turmoil that result. Not us – no way.

I came home from the Disney store with 2 new Minnies. I thought the original was new enough that I could easily rotate the others in, and, in no time, have 3 perfectly similar, undetectably different friends.

Not a chance. The first thing she asked when I tried to give her an impostor? “Who is this new hairy Minnie?”

Plan foiled.

From then on, the trio became ‘Regular Minnie’, ‘Hairy Minnie’, and ‘Other One Hairy Minnie.’ She could spot the difference across the room – tail length, fuzziness of the fur, tiny differences in the color of her dress. Hairy Minnie and Other One Hairy Minnie NEVER fit in.

We went 3+ years never losing ‘Regular’ Minnie. Never leaving her anywhere, never really even had a scare.

All of a sudden, last week, M decided she wanted to bring someone else to school. “Isn’t Minnie your best friend?” “She is, but she can be my best friend for sleeping.”

I may have cried. Minnie doesn’t come in the car with us any more. She doesn’t hide in M’s backpack at school, and I’m not sure she’d even notice if Minnie wasn’t in the pile of animals on her bed each night.

I’m not relieved at all. I expected that, when this day came, I’d be thrilled that I would no longer have to worry about losing her or about which appendage was going to fall off next, but I’m not. I think I might need to start snuggling with Minnie, and I think any mom would completely understand.

Author LZ

For more great blog posts like this, visit LZ’s website at www.mymessyparadise.com.