Goodbye faithful friend

Dear Backpack Bear,

You came into Noah's life when he was 2.  He had recently been diagnosed with autism and you were little and easy to hold.

Just like him.

When Noah was hospitalized with a bad MRSA staph infection you came to the hospital with him and kept him company for 2 days in his little crib.

Noah loved to put you up on this ramp and pretend you were sliding down a slide. He'd say "Wheeeee" every time he did it and you let him crash your fuzzy body into the fridge over and over again.

On Noah's first day of Kindergarten you were there to help him transition to a new classroom, a new teacher, and a full day away from home.


You made every trip back and forth to school, on grocery shopping trips, to weekends away at Daddy's house, and everywhere in between for four years.

Recently Noah had discovered that you liked to fly.  He would throw you over our third floor balcony every few days and each time I would walk down the stairs, pick you up amidst the many leaves and branches, dust you off, and present you back to Noah would would cry "My Noah" as if you had jumped off the balcony all by yourself.

Unfortunately yesterday you fell in a place where even I couldn't rescue you. 

Noah didn't realize that dropping something out the window of a moving school bus means its gone to a place where it cannot be retrieved.

Not even by Mommy.

I wish this story had a happier ending.  Both for you, sweet Backpack Bear, for all the years you comforted and soothed my baby boy and for Noah who misses you desperately.

We love you backpack bear. 

You will never be forgotten.