Day 12 - The Gift Of Paddington Bear - #doodlewashApril2018 Doodlewash
By Charlie

The Gift of Paddington Bear

Written by Charlie O'Shields

My favorite little bear of all-time is Paddington Bear. I read all of the books when I was a kid and still have my little set of them. My mother had Simplicity pattern 8223 that was released in the 70’s and used it to make the little bear for craft shows when I was a kid. A few month ago when we were chatting on the phone, she told me she lost the pattern somewhere along the way and so I immediately went online and found it and had it shipped to her. This may seem like a sweet and selfless thing to do, but it came with a request. I wanted a bear!! I no longer have one from when I was a kid and I wanted one for my birthday which is tomorrow. A couple weeks ago when she was visiting, she arrived with a little bag and inside was a little Paddington Bear she’d made for me! I was thrilled! Like seriously crazy happy thrilled. You’d have thought she’d given me the keys to a new car! He now sits on a shelf in the living room, smiling out at me as a glorious reminder childhood and the triumphant return of an old friend who had once joined me on my happiest days.

During the visit with my mother, I found out she’d not yet seen the new Paddington movies which I thought were incredibly well made and super fun. She said she’d check them out, but I didn’t want to take any chances, so I made sure the first movie arrived on her doorstep the moment she arrived back home. Her birthday was yesterday so we usually chat on the phone today on the 12th, in between our two birthdays. She said she loved the movie, but even cooler, she’s given herself a new challenge. She’s going to recreate the movie version of Paddington in a stuffed animal! There’s a Steiff version that I never had to chance to get before it became a costly collector’s item. So she’s going to use a few different bear patterns and design her own version as a jointed Teddy bear. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with! It occurs to me only now, though, that she didn’t actually say that this one would be for me. Must make a note to confirm that.

As my mother and I get older together around the same time each year, it makes me happy to have these connections to a time when we actually got to see each other every day. These days, it’s usually only 2-3 times a year. So this year, we had fun swapping versions of Paddington Bear to make each other smile, even when we couldn’t be together. I’ll have to send her the watercolor version as she doesn’t have a computer so she never sees my blog posts. And, I know, that one day as we both grow older and older, there will be an April 12th when there’s no longer a phone call. But I’ll still have this little bear on a shelf, smiling at me with his little note around his neck in my mother’s handwriting that simply says, “Please Look After This Bear.” And I’ll nod, walk over, gently pick him up, and hold him closer than I ever have before. There are many memorable gifts in life, but for me, in the end, I think the most memorable of all will always be the gift of Paddington Bear.

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About the Doodlewash

Da Vinci Paint Co.: Quinacridone Red, Nickel Azo Yellow, Terra Cotta, Cobalt Turquoise and Cobalt Blue.  Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book.
  Day 12 - The Gift Of Paddington Bear - #doodlewashApril2018 Doodlewash

 

Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world!

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45 thoughts on “The Gift of Paddington Bear”

  4. I love your Paddington bear! For some reason, I never saw the books when I was actually a child – probably hadn’t imported them yet (or they hadn’t been written yet), and I only read them as a teenager. Probably the reason, I never took to him as much as Winnie the Pooh. You just can’t bond with a book character in the same way once you’re past a certain age.

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  8. Your Doodlewash and story are enchanting! An old memory and a new memory to treasure. Your Mother must be a treasure too. I am smiling amidst the tears! I purchased this very pattern while I was expecting my oldest daughter in 1977. Paddington Bear was waiting for her in the nursery when I brought her home from the hospital. She loved him to death…literally and figuratively. Another Paddington was made for my younger daughter two years later. I must check through my boxes of old patterns, it seems time for another Paddington Bear. Happy Birthday to your Mother and you! Thank-you!

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  10. I love hearing about the sweet closeness between you and your mom. I have the same sort of relationship with my adult son, who is also a lover of childhood toys and stuffed animals. I wish you and your mom many more years filled with fun and love.

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  13. Charlie,

    I take so much pleasure from your art. It makes me sad to think your mother does
    not get to see and read your wonderful sharings. From the first day I visited doodlewash, I wanted a book that contained your thoughts and your art. It is on my
    bucket list of things that would make me blissfully happy. Now, think for a minute,
    if it would make me – a stranger – blissfully happy, what joy it would bring to your mother. It would top even your joy at receiving Paddington Bear. It’s the kind of thing that makes life good. btw…I love your Paddington Bear painting.

    I have a book that your mother should have. It is called The Teddy Bear Encyclopedia by Pauline Cockrill, ISBN 0-7607-1564-5 The first edition came out in 1993. It has some 500 pictures of teddy bears, as well as a Teddy Bear restoration section. I just pulled my copy off the shelf and leafed through it for a moment. It is almost as good as a trip to
    doodlewash for stilling the world in a perfect moment and definitely a book every arctophile should have. BTW, my son gave me my copy about twenty years ago.

    Sarah

    Happy Birthday to you!!

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  17. Awww………… Charlie, what a beautiful story. Your mom must be so proud of you and it’s obvious how much you both love each other. Yes, that dear little bear will be a bond forever between you and her.

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  18. Happy Birthday Charlie!!!!!!!! That time again – and a year younger than the last, if you’re anything like me. I hope you’ve had a lovely day! <3

    I'm pretty sure this Paddington is the one my grandmother knitted for me, it certainly looks very similar. Neat! I'm excited for you about the movie recreation – I remember your doodlewash of him and he was soooo cute!

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  19. I love this story and your Paddington bear. I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t love Paddington. Your mother will enjoy the pattern you sent to her. What a wonderful thing for you to do…so very thoughtful.

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