Supporting Marching Bears Inc. One evening I was trying to console my tearful son, Talon, after our puppy had eaten a special superhero he made from clay. To help comfort him I told him a story about something similar that happened to me when I was his age. As a child I had a pillow shaped like Dopey, one of the Seven Dwarfs. It was special. I slept with it every night. One day I came home to find it chewed to pieces by my dog, stuffing was everywhere. I was heart broken and cried. I told Talon nothing could’ve replace it but with time the hurt became less. The story helped, he stopped crying and asked me questions about my pillow and how I felt. He was concerned for me and was trying to determine how I could’ve saved my pillow. I told him not to worry and kissed him goodnight. Later on Talon called for me. He said his pillow was in my room and would I get it for him. I went and what I found brought me to tears. Lying on my bed was his pillow. The pillowcase was off and drawn w/colored markers was a cartoon dwarf with the word “DOPEY” underneath. I brought it to Talon’s room and he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “I just felt so bad for you and I wanted you to have your pillow back.” No more words were needed. What started out as a story to console a child became a lesson to me in how to love. The clay is long forgotten but the pillow still sits on my bed, a constant reminder of the special gift of love I have in my son, Talon. He’s not just close to my heart but connected with it!