Written by For Day Six of World Watercolor Month, our optional prompt of “Memory” made me think back to when I was a very little kid. I had lots of teddy bears and one would always be my favorite for a period of time. This particular bear would get a lot of extra perks that the other bears did not. One of these was, of course, the ability to join me on a little picnic and share in my chocolate chip cookies. Looking back, I realize now that it was way better to share with a teddy bear than a little human friend. The bear was utterly polite and would always decline to actually eat the cookies that I offered. Though this was most likely a side effect of lacking a proper mouth, it still seemed quite sweet. I would then eat all of the cookies for the both of us, as that was equally the polite thing to do in such a situation. The same held true for the milk served in a teapot to be extra classy. There would be many secrets shared that I’ve never been able to remember. Those would disappear with age, but that exquisite feeling of being alone together and enjoying a special moment with a dear friend is something I still cherish most.
As an adult, it’s often difficult to find time to spend an afternoon with a close friend. There always seems to be so little time these days for sitting and pondering life. With chores to do and work to get completed, what little time is left can often feel too precious. Recently, I had lunch with one of my best friends and suddenly an hour turned into more than three hours. Sure, there was plenty that wasn’t getting done during that time, but that didn’t really seem to matter anymore. Sometimes, in all of the flurry and hustle of life, it becomes surprisingly easy to neglect our hearts. Yet, whenever I follow my heart and do the thing that it asks of me, I’m never disappointed. Sure, I might find myself later scrambling to catch up on all of the projects that sat dormant during my playtime. But, life sort of loses its point when there’s no time to play, love, and dream. At least that’s what the clever little boy inside always tells me when he chooses that path all adults seem to avoid.
So today, I try to make plenty of time to play and have fun. Indeed, taking a moment to scribble, doodle, color is always a great way to accomplish this. Sometimes, I can spend a bit too much time alone, spinning crazy ideas in my mind. That’s when I remember that there’s a teddy bear out there who might enjoy spending a bit of alone time with me. This might be Philippe or a close friend that I haven’t spoken to in way too many days to count. Sometimes, the “bear” is even our dog Phineas if it’s one of the rare days where he seems to want a cuddle. I tend to create chaos in my life with too many projects for one guy to handle, but I balance that with love. I know that there’s nothing more important in the world, no matter how important some deadline might seem at the time. So, I make time to dream, to sketch, and to enjoy the ones I love most. While some might crave a party full of faces, I prefer just staring into the eyes of someone special, like when I was a little boy enjoying a those picnics with a teddy bear.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Yellow Ochre, Hansa Yellow Medium, Terra Cotta, Opus (Vivid Pink), Quinacridone Red, Leaf Green, Phthalo Blue, Cobalt Turquoise and Indigo. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with black ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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I never did tea parties as a kid. Now I look back and wonder what I missed!
Sweet bear, Charlie. I had one teddy bear when I was a kid and still have that one little guy after all these years. Seems more difficult than ever to get together with friends after months of isolation. Have a couple of get togethers planned though and looking forward to them.
Cute! One of my favorite things to do is have overnight company and then spend half the day having morning coffee chitchatting about everything and nothing. My sister in law and I do it whenever she comes to visit. It is especially nice because our husbands tend to sleep in longer, so no one is looking for real breakfast.
Thanks so much, Lisa! 😃💕 Aww that sounds like a lovely time indeed! Awesome!!
Hola, Charlie! I was without WiFi for a few days so I am late to the party. 😀 Such a sweet memory, Charlie. I must’ve been quite a rascal because when my parents bought me a tea set, I laid on the floor and sent them smashing into the wood frame thing on the wall’s edge. I even had a set from Mexico. All smashed. I regret it now as an adult, but I had fun doing it. 😀 When I was in high school band, my friends said that I reminded them of a teddy bear when I laughed. I guess the dimples. I was like,”Bear? Oh, hell no.” I was bombarded with Bear gifts (we exchanged gifts for each game), and then, I was hooked and started collecting bears. Luckily, my friends graduated the next year and no one called me bear ever again. haha haha 🐻🐼🐻🐼 Super cute painting, Charlie. I always try to remind myself that memories made with old friends or doing something special is what really matters in the end. I try to keep to that. I used to tell my secrets to my dogs and cats when we used to play in my secret hideaway on the narrow strip of grass on the side of the house along the fence. I used to dress my dog in baby clothes and we would sit on a towel. I would read my books, sing, and look out onto the street at my neighbors through the ivy covered fence. My dog didn’t run away because the baby clothes physically handicapped them until I released them. I carried them around like a baby and played mama. haha haha As an only child, they were my friends. I sure wish that I could remember our (my) conversations with them. Little girl talk, I imagine. Such a sweet memory.
Thanks so much, Marisela! 😃💕 And welcome back!! I love those stories!! That’s so fun… but I handicapping the dog in baby clothes is the best bit. That’s just awesome!! lol
Cute doodle. I don’t remember having a teddy bear. I do remember playing tea parties with my brother and mum.
Thanks so much, Gary! 😃💕 I think tea parties are always fun!
Your teddy is adorable, and tea party perfect! I had “Phuntan,” a tiny little elephant that knew where the bodies were hidden-literally, I was a one animal girl so I would put the rest out of sight-out of mind. I wished I had a picture of him, my last memory was of a pale grey, soft but fuzzless, eyeless, elephant that looked more like a glove😆 I guess I loved Phuntan till He was real according to the Skin Horse in “The Velveteen Rabbit.” Oddly enough, I’ve had a dog named TeddyBear and I have a husband who answers to Bear😄
Thanks so much! 😃💕awww… that plush elephant sounds well loved in indeed. And yes… there does seem to be a “Bear” pattern there! hehe
This is so cute!!
Thanks so much, Varsha! 😃💕
Oh good grief. I got to the line about you eating all the cookies because Bear had no mouth so you suffered for both of you – and I started laughing. That was me when I was a kid and now I’m still the same – I eat all the cookies because why should my friends suffer with weight gain when I can do it for both of us? I guess I haven’t grown up either. Funny how some posts trigger personal memories.
Hehe!! Yay for never growing up… and for eating all of the cookies! Best way to live! 😃💕
Hello Charlie,
Such a sweet Doodlewash and an even sweeter post. 🙂 I agree 1000% about teddy bears being super polite and have always loved how they tend to let us have all the cookies. I don’t have a teddy bear anymore but still have a teddy tiger whom I’ve named Butterfly – coz if a butterfly can be named after a tiger why not the other way around? Somehow I seem to be the only one to whom that makes sense but Butterfly doesn’t mind. He sits next to my pillow all night guarding my dreams. Little Charlie will understand perfectly Im sure. 😉
Love,
Mugdha
Thanks so much, Mugdha! 😃💕 Aww I adore the way your mind works!! And love the idea of teddy tiger name Butterfly! Sweet!!
Aw Charlie, blessings on your love for your friends. And have another cookie.