The Eaglet!

Look at that face!! 

Isn't it the most beautiful face ever!!

I am talking about Eskarina, of course, my beautiful grand daughter, but the post is actually the story of this baby eaglet!  This stuffed toy baby eaglet!  It has a story.

You see ... about 37 years ago I was walking down the isle of a grocery story.   Yes, a grocery store.  (Don't you love it when a story takes an unusual turn.)  I had both my children with me.  My son was about 7 and my daughter was about 4.  Grocery stores back then had a child's section of toys that was designed to snag a youngster's attention and increase sales on non-food items.  Really, it was designed to create an argument over buying this, that or another thing.   On this day 37 years ago, it fulfilled its mission.

I was about half way down the isle when my son called to me that "this baby eagle needs a home."  
I remember turning around still staring at my shopping list and eager to finish up.  I had no intention of being sucked into purchasing a bit of fabric stuffed with artificial polyester - because 'it needed a home.'

He did not throw a tantrum - that would have been the quickest way to defeat - he knew that!  I remember him pleading towards my sympathies.

There was no other eagle in the display.  

This 'baby' needed a friend.  

We couldn't just leave him there.  

Who would take care of him.   

And so on and so on and so on.   

He was so sincere and I could tell he was near tears over this obvious abandonment of a baby eaglet!  (Remember folks, this is a stuffed animal.  Just to hammer the point home - it is still a baby stuffed animal 37 years later!!)  But, no matter.  My son had instantly bonded emotionally with the plight of this poor baby eagle.

Now it should be stated clearly ... I am not heartless.  I bought that baby eaglet (stuffed animal) ... my son took good care of him AND, after my son had outgrown his stuffed animals, that baby eaglet survived my purge of stuff - actually several purges of stuff - right up to the move to the condo.

This past weekend we took our adult children and our grand daughter out to eat - celebratory for an anniversary and a birthday.  I brought the eaglet to the dinner for Eskarina!

And when I pulled it out of the bag, my son got a small smile on his face.

Priceless! 

 Well worth the cost paid 37 years ago!

I do it again in a heart beat!!!