People remind me of teddy bears. Some are full of stuffing and little else. Some are kept out of reach of the masses, only being able to be viewed but never touched. There are generic bears that share such a striking resemblance to each other that we could be forgiven for not seeing the individual beauty within each one. Like people bears come in a multitude of different sizes and colours; the possibilities are endless.

Some bears are old and tatty, while others appear to have been made yesterday. Some have jointed limbs while others cannot move their limbs at all. Some stare at us with unseeing eyes while their counterparts’ fur is so thick we can’t even see their eyes through their fur. Some teddies are matted, some soft and silky. Some can growl while others have no voice.

So if I compare people to teddy bears you’re probably wondering just what sort of bear I see you as…

You are a very special teddy bear indeed, though not everyone can appreciate that fact. Some choose to judge you at face value and that is their loss not yours, for if they really thought about it, they would see in you what I see when I look at you.

Your fur may be partly matted, some even having been worn away leaving bare patches that are scratchy to the touch. One of your ears sits lopsided; the result of someone’s attempt to ‘fix’ you. Your eyes are beautiful, well at least the one you still have is. The other long gone, leaving a stubborn thread hanging; the only reminder that it was ever there in the first place.

You might be grubby and in places your seams have split exposing the straw on the inside. A flat row of fur the only telltale sign that you once proudly wore a ribbon secured round your neck.

For some people that is all they see when they look at you before their eyes discard you. Yet while I see the same things that they see, I see you as being so incredibly beautiful and it makes me want to hug you all the more.

Those signs of wear and tear that some seem almost ashamed of, they show me how special you are. For while many might view them as flaws, I see them as signs that you have been loved so very, very much; and I know that is true because I am the one who loves you.

I wouldn’t change a single thing about you. To do so might risk losing your charm, your uniqueness and your personality and besides why change you when I already love you just the way you are.

I love you, so beary, beary much.

(Screen) Name: Vicki Kay