Traveling Teddy

It was grade two, and I thought our teacher was very cool. To all of us kids she was amazing. She was one of those teachers that when you look back on the memories, you can't help but smile. Kids would flock to her and give her hugs at the beginning of class, give her little thank you notes and other tokens of appreciation. She made every class fun and made it exciting to learn, live and go to school.

At the beginning of the year, she told our class that she had a teddy bear. And not just any teddy bear, no. This was Traveling Teddy, and he was special. See, Traveling Teddy had been all over the world with her, packing along his mini suitcase where in lay a little bottle of real toothpaste, tiny Teddy pajamas, swim trunks, a little hairbrush, a camera and many other teddy-sized necessities.

And then she told us that she was going to let Traveling Teddy go home with us kids for a sleep over. She explained that everyone was to put their name on a piece of paper, and put it into a bowl, where she would draw from to see who would take Traveling Teddy home on the weekend. Who ever had their name chosen would be given Teddy, the suitcase and the camera to take pictures of what Traveling Teddy experienced while at their home. She said that Teddy wanted to go to friendly places, and so when someone was mean, Teddy didn't want to go over to their house anymore, and they had to win back Teddy's friendship, otherwise Traveling Teddy wouldn't come over.

So every Friday, a name was drawn from the bowl and Traveling Teddy along with his suitcase and belongings would be carefully placed into the arms of a very excited boy or girl. All during the rest of the week, it was a common topic to guess who would be the one to take home Traveling Teddy on the weekend. Traveling Teddy would sit on the file cabinet during the week, and Mrs. Powell would take him down after each day back to her home where the two of them lived.

Every week I waited anxiously for my name to be chosen, and every week someone else's name was picked from the bowl. It was finally almost the end of the year with only two months left, and names were being put back into the bowl for a second chance with Traveling Teddy, and I still hadn't had a chance to have him over. I thought it wasn't fair, so I went and talked to Mrs. Powell. I told her I hadn't had Traveling Teddy yet, and she told me that my name must have fallen out of the bowl at some point. She said that Teddy had wanted to come over to my house because I'd been so friendly with everyone, but it was just a mistake that the paper had fallen out. Mrs. Powell wrote my name on a new piece of paper and put it into the bowl. She told the person who was about to take him home for the second time that they would do it next week since I hadn't had a turn yet. She said Traveling Teddy would be in my care over this upcoming weekend. The day I took him home was different though. That day, Mrs. Powell wasn't there. Another teacher read from a note that she should give Teddy to me. I took Traveling Teddy home, hoping to show Mrs. Powell the pictures I took and how happy Traveling Teddy was with me. And he was happy that weekend, I made sure of it. Teddy did everything I did. We went on the swing together, played with my other stuffed animals, and ate food together. When the weekend was over, I slipped some Monopoly money in his wallet inside the suitcase, so that he would have a bit of cash with him when he got back to school.

Monday morning, Mrs. Powell was back, and all the kids gave her hugs, but she didn't look well. She looked pretty sick. Pale mostly. I gave Traveling Teddy back to Mrs. Powell, and she put him back on his file cabinet and watched us from his podium. Mrs. Powell didn't get better. Throughout the next few weeks substitute teachers became more frequent, and Traveling Teddy had to sit on the file cabinet over night instead of going home to keep Mrs. Powell company. Mrs. Powell had made sure that the substitute teacher knew that it was important that every kid had a chance to take Traveling Teddy home on the weekend. But soon we had a permanent replacement, and Mrs. Powell would only come to visit. At some point Mrs. Powell must have taken Traveling Teddy home with her, because he wasn't on the file cabinet anymore. The principal of the school came in and told us that Mrs. Powell had cancer and was really sick. He said that this was the last year she was going to teach, and that we should probably all say goodbye to her.

Someone decided to give Mrs. Powell a large cotton teddy bear for everyone to sign to give to Mrs. Powell. Everyone in the class signed it, and all the teachers too. We gave it to Mrs. Powell to help her get better. It was our version of Traveling Teddy. But after a while, just before summer break, I was returning books to the library and noticed that our big, white bear was sitting all alone on a shelf in the library. Looking up at the big white Teddy, no one had to explain it, I knew what it meant. I felt tears run down my face.

That night I went home and picked up my own Teddy bear. I looked at his ruffled fur and worn black nose. This would be my tribute to Mrs. Powell. I made him a cardboard suit case, and I put monopoly money in it. This was my Traveling Teddy. And I would make sure Teddy wanted to sleep over every night, because he saw how friendly I was to everyone. I found my Traveling Teddy some red overalls, and I tucked him into bed beside me. And now, he has been to all sorts of places with me. And he's been in many photo shoots. I still tuck him in to bed with me, but he sleeps with his overalls on.

Mrs. Powell left a mark on me, not through her stuffed bear though. She knew she had cancer, and she decided to spend her last year teaching us in that grade two classroom, exciting us for life and learning, and giving us opportunities to grow and be better people. She gave part of her life to us, and shared some of her light. And for that, Mrs. Powell, I sincerely say Thank You.