Zebra.  Or as we now call him, “Zezza.”  He’s the cuddly zebra that has been my son’s best friend since he was a baby.  I don’t know how it happened.  You introduce your child to dozens of cuddly creatures when they’re babies, collecting them as if you’re building a zoo.  But then one rises above the rest and becomes more important and beloved than all the others.  How do they choose?

With “Zezza”  I think it had something to do with the ears.  The little man would rub Zezza’s soft cuddly ears between his fingers when he was trying to go to sleep.  I always knew he was about ready to fall asleep when his fingers went for the ears.

I’ve tried to buy another one, an emergency backup in the event of disaster, but I can’t find them anywhere. Zezza came in a package from America, a baby gift from a childhood friend.  I guess part of me knows that any replacement would never be the same anyway.  It’s fur would be too new, not faded and worn with love. So I’ve risked it. I’ve allowed Zezza to leave the confines of our house on occasion, though he mostly stays behind. After all, Zezza needs to get his rest, he works so hard at night-time helping the little man sleep. But Zezza has traveled transatlantically. And, he’s journeyed with us to the hospital when the little man had a coughing & vomiting episode that in the end was nothing.

Now that my little man is a bit older, I see that their friendship has changed and grown.  It’s not just about cuddly ears, it’s about companionship.  I hear him talking in bed to Zezza, telling him bedtime stories, recounting his day, telling him it’s time to go to bed.  Our bed time routine now involves me giving Zezza a hug and kiss good night as well. And we even have a little blanket that we sometimes tuck Zezza into.  We make sure his head has a nice soft spot on the pillow.

It surprised me to find that as I looked through my photos I, in fact, had evidence of their first meeting.  Zezza arrived from America when the little man was just two months old. I remember placing them on the floor together, letting them get to know each other. I know that one day he’ll grow out of his friendship with Zezza but now, I know he couldn’t have a better friend.

Please continue around the circle to see what Favorite Things the lovely my good friend Laura discovered this month.