When I was little, I had a stuffed panda bear. I don't think I ever gave it a name, but I just loved that thing. It was big, too...about the size of an average 2 year-old. Around the time I was 6 or 7, it suddenly disappeared and I was frantic. I looked everywhere for it and asked my mom about it and she denied knowing anything. Finally, my sister (2 years older than me) told me that my mom had given it to the Goodwill. When confronted, mom admitted it and excused getting rid of it by saying that it was old, dirty, and falling apart. I was so angry at her. What a betrayal...not only to give it away, but to lie about it. What would possess her to do such a thing? I still wonder about that.
What made me think of this was the pictures of the new baby panda at the National Zoo. It is so friggin' cute! And I just loved reading this update about him:
November 30: Tai's Hair
We are now handling Tai Shan without gloves and gowns. He has received all his vaccinations and is very healthy. Tai's hair is very coarse and dry, like the worst case of split ends. However, the hair is mostly one length—about four inches—and there is no undercoat. Minerals from Mei Xiang's saliva, especially iron compounds, leave Tai's hair with a pink tint. Despite his protests, she still manages to lick him!
The baby panda is named Tai Shan, which means "peaceful mountain" in Chinese.
How I wish I had my little stuffed panda...
this reminded me of my mother. she loves panda.
Posted by: isay | Friday, December 02, 2005 at 01:00 PM
Oh, Diane, how terrible! I just hate hearing stories like this. I don't understand why mamas take such extreme measures - but at least be honest about it, right?
The little baby panda (and I love it's name!) is precious. But I think you need to find a sweet baby panda under the Christmas tree this year!
Posted by: samantha | Friday, December 02, 2005 at 05:29 AM
Some parents can be so clueless about the intensity of their children's feelings and perceptions of justice. As their victims, we must learn what to do to soothe ourselves (get a new panda?) and vow not to do it to our kids. I think my mother's occasional cleaning and discarding frenzies are why I can hardly throw anything away now... She's long gone, why aren't the clothes that don't fit?
Posted by: PainterWoman | Thursday, December 01, 2005 at 10:59 PM
Ashley had a huge panda too and we might still have it somewhere. We have never been allowed to get rid of any stuffed animals. (I would like to, but even at their ages, they are unwilling to part with those memories)When I was little I had a blanket; I remember waiting by the washer and dryer until it was safely out because I was afraid my mom would throw the ratty thing away.
Posted by: Margaret | Thursday, December 01, 2005 at 07:07 PM
How SAD! Not about the baby panda, but about YOURS. I sometimes wonder how adults don't realize the consequences of those kinds of actions. When I first lived in Portland, I lived with a single mother. They had a fabulous Border Collie--great dog, she was sweet and I was crazy about her (as was J. who would play Frisbee with her every time he came over). But she began jumping the short backyard fence and taking off. My roommate didn't want to tether her to the big tree in the backyard, even on a very long line (and it was a good sized yard). So after a few tickets from Animal Control, she took the dog to the pound. I was heartbroken...and it wasn't even my dog. But here's the thing: she did it on a Saturday when her son was at his Dad's for the weekend. He never even got to say goodbye to his dog. He's a senior now--so tall and grown-up...but I've always wondered how he felt about having his dog disappear in his absence...
Posted by: Marilyn | Thursday, December 01, 2005 at 06:39 AM
I can really relate to the feeling of having something taken from you like that without being asked. When I was little my mother was always throwing away certain items of mine without ever asking me or at least telling me she was doing so. At one point, after I discovered that she'd tossed out my snoopy rainboots, I was so angry that I packed up a sack and "ran away" the whole way to the end of the street.
The panda is cute! Maybe you could get a little stuffed panda of your own at a zoo gift shop or something like that?
Posted by: Amy | Thursday, December 01, 2005 at 12:09 AM
So sad about your panda bear.... :-(
And yes, Tai Shan is so cute! You are obviously checking out the panda cam...^-^ Amazing what is possible here on the internet!!
Posted by: leslie | Wednesday, November 30, 2005 at 11:45 PM