SAMMY THE BEAR

I lost it. I can't find it anywhere.I looked all over the place, in every room in my house but it's nowhere to be found. My lucky charm is missing. The one thing I have cherished since my childhood is gone. Sammy the bear is gone.

Sammy the bear, my teddy bear since I was seven has been my friend when I needed one. My comforter in my time of need. Sammy the bear has always been there for me and now when I need Sammy he's nowhere to be found.

What am I going to do without Sammy? I know it's crazy to say that about a stuffed bear but there is a special story connected to Sammy that I have kept in my heart for a long time. I want to share Sammy and the story with my daughter.

I received Sammy the bear when I was seven from my father. It was the day before he left for Vietnam. I cried every day for my father. Sammy was always there to keep the pain away.

I took Sammy everywhere with me. To the park, to school, to the stores. You name the place Sammy went with me. My mother couldn't pry Sammy from my hands.

Sammy was the only link I had to my father. He was the last thing my father gave to me. I didn't know at the time if my father was going to come home. I kept my father close in my heart through Sammy.

I let no one touch Sammy not even my mother. The first time I lost Sammy I cried for days. In the end my mother found Sammy at the park. I never let him out of my sight.

Now I'm again heartbroken. Sammy is missing. I don't even know where to begin to look. He's nowhere in my house which is odd because I always keep Sammy at home.

Maybe there is a possibility I took Sammy out of the house. But where? Think Kaydence. Think hard but every time I do it brings up memories of heartache. Memories of a time I wish to forget.

This memory comes and goes like clockwork. It was three months after my dad left. My mother received no news about my father that is until she received a letter stating my father was MIA, missing in action.

I was only seven, a young girl who didn't know about the dangers the world has. That night I saw my mother crying. I didn't understand the letter but I knew some of the words then I began to cry. I held Sammy in my arms while my mother held me.

We held each other for a long time. I slept closely with Sammy that night and for all the nights until my father came home. Sammy was my treasure my father gave to me.

I prayed every day with Sammy by my side for my father to come home. Not a day went by that Sammy wasn't with me. My own mother didn't understand why Sammy was so important to me. That is until I told her "Daddy gave me Sammy."

Since that time, me and my mother prayed for my father's safe return home with Sammy by our side. Sammy became our lucky charm. Many of our friends and family thought we were crazy for believing a stuffed bear was lucky, we didn't care. Sammy was our only link to my father.

That's why Sammy is so special to me. Me and my father had a special bond. We were always two peas in a pod. There is more to Sammy's story and it's something special.

Here is the rest of my story about Sammy. Maybe it will help me trigger my memory and help me find Sammy. The bond between me and my mother grew. Sammy was right there, a reminder of who we lost and of who we want home.

Two years passed and still no word about my father. I was nine and Sammy was still there giving me hope and giving my mother hope. I was getting older and I kept carrying Sammy with me everywhere I went. I kept getting a lot of stares from every one of my friends and neighbors.

I didn't care at all about their stares. They don't know and never knew about the special connection I had with my father through Sammy. Friends, family and neighbors didn't understand the pain me and my mother went through on a daily base.

Holding Sammy took away the pain I felt, without Sammy I don't think I would have survived. I know my mother felt the same way. The day before summer break something amazing happened.

Me and my mother were at home watching T.V. with Sammy sitting right next to us got the best news possible. Two Army officers came to our house and told my mother my father is alive and coming home. They couldn't tell her where my father was found. I held Sammy while the two Army officers spoke to my mother.

The two Army officers left, my mother turned to me and said "My loving daughter, Daddy is coming home. Sammy is truly our lucky charm." I was behind excited. I couldn't sleep. Me and Sammy practically stood up the whole night. My father was coming home.

The day my father came home and I remember like it just happened yesterday. I got up early, went into my mother's bed room and woke her up. We made breakfast together and got dressed. When it was time to go, I picked up Sammy and went to the car.

I got into the car, put my seat belt on, held Sammy in my arms. My mother drove to the airport. I looked out the window smiling. I couldn't wait to see my father. My mother got to the airport in record time. We were led to the tarmac with the other family members that were already there waiting for their loved ones to come home.

As the day wore on more and more mother's, sons and daughters began to come and wait with the rest of us. Soon we began to see a plane coming. I told my mother "Daddy's on the plane." She smiled. The plane began to land. We all started cheering.

The plane landed, the doors opened and the first person to come out was my father. I ran to him carrying Sammy. I jumped into his arms. I didn't want to let him go but I had to. My mother wanted to hug my dad too. The families in the crowd began clapping.

I showed my father Sammy. I told him I kept Sammy with me every day for the last two years. My father hugged me once more then we went home.

Those memories are very precious to me. Now thinking back to my childhood with Sammy and my father coming home, I'm starting to remember where Sammy is. Sammy at my parents home. My daughter took Sammy to my parents home.

I drive to my parent's home, my childhood home. I park my car in front of the house. I get out of the car, walk up the stairs and into the house. I walk to the living room and spot Sammy.

I walk to Sammy, pick him up and hug him. My daughter Evie walks to me and asks me "Are you okay Mommy?"

"I'm fine love. Do you want me to tell you the story about Sammy?"

"Yes please."

I began to tell Evie the story about Sammy. I see my daughter smiling. She loves Sammy just as much as I do. At the end of my story, I give Sammy to Evie and I tell her to take good care of Sammy.

I watch Evie leave with Sammy. I turn around and see my father. I walk to him and hug him.

"Thank you for giving me Sammy. I love you"