My son has a stuffed animal named Tigey. Tigey was purchased during a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo when we lived in Lexington. We would take our then young toddler and preschooler to the zoo on so many weekends to take in all the animals and sights. It was a sweet time.
After our first trip to the zoo, we stopped at the gift shop. Usually a parental mistake, but my son settled on a baby tiger since he had loved watching the tigers that day. He was about eighteen months old at the time.
Fast forward ten years. My son is now eleven years old and Tigey still resides in his room, on his bed and sleeps with him most nights. He’s not embarrassed of this stuffed friend at all and travels with him, even now.
This weekend, he took Tigey with us on a weekend adventure. My husband and son were tossing the ragged stuffed tiger back and forth in our hotel room. I mentioned that Tigey had been a lot of places and seen a lot of things.
I remember having a pink blanket that I loved as a little girl. I think I eventually lost it at a local department store. I remember my mom going back to look for it and it was gone. My heart was crushed. Never was there another blanket as soft and comforting.
It’s funny the things we hold to for security and comfort. I’ve thought that my son may be too old for this type of thing but I’ll let him figure out the day that Tigey is ready to retire for good. Until then, “Bon Voyage, Tigey!”
A front porch view 
Stuffed toys are each child’s favorite. It’s strange how each one has his/her own special way. Childhood bond.
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Yes. I agree. It will probably make me so sad when My son does decide to retire his stuffed animal but I am holding onto these precious memories right now.
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What a sweet post. It made me think about some of my children’s favorite stuffies over the years. One of ours also came from a zoo!
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Aaahh! Your post made me want to go retrieve my childhood stuffed animal named Maynard from the depths of a memory trunk. I love that your son still feels safe taking Tigey with him on his adventures. It’s fascinating to consider how objects of affection help to stabilize us during times of uncertainty. What do we cling too during seasons of risk and uncertainty. Thanks for sharing your reflections with us here in the SOL community. The photograph added so much to your piece.
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Thanks so much for reading. It is amazing what we hold onto for comfort in times of uncertainty. We have had two moves in the past year so I am sure that Tigey has been quite a comfort to my son.
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I have grandchildren now and the best moment ever was taking them to the Zoo. I bought each one a stuffie of the animal of their choice. My students love the stuffed animals I have in my classroom, even the 6th graders. I love that Tigey is still a part of your son’s life.
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Thanks for reading. I also love using stuffed animals in my classroom. I find that for some reason kids are more comfortable when they see the small tokens of joy.
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Annalee, my little grandgirls love their stuffies and their Mommy kept hers for an extra long time. There is comfort in the familiar. Lovely post.
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Thanks for reading!🤍
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