LESSONS FROM A Silly Old BEAR

Pooh Bear came into my life on my 4th birthday, among a circle of neighborhood girls sitting on the grass under the weeping willow, wearing homemade paper plate hats adorned with pink crêpe paper flowers. I remember tearing open an oddly shaped birthday present to find the trademark yellow Pooh Bear wearing his classic red shirt with the cursive “Pooh” sewn across the front. 

Little would Pooh Bear know that he would spend the next fifty years in the company of that little girl, be passed down and loved by the next generation, and sit in the laps of hundreds of public-school students, listening to them learn how to read.

Pooh bear taught me many lessons that I still hold dear today, here are a few…

1. Use simple common sense.

2. Be ready with a bit of poetry to share; it keeps things light when the world becomes too dark.

3. Be a composer, ready with a song to hum to lift one’s spirits.

4. Keep in shape, honey is yummy in the tummy; but it’s important to keep up with your daily “up, down, and touch the ground” morning routine.

5. Check up on your friends regularly. Some friends, like Eeyore, might get a little blue at times, so pop in and see them.

6. If you are feeling grouchy, a little snack or taste of honey will put you in a sweeter mood.

7. Be kindhearted; go out of your way to help a friend in need.

8. Be humble; sometimes you need to listen to the wisdom of a mentor, like Christopher Robin.

9. You don’t have to be the smartest person in your “Hundred Acre Wood,” sometimes it’s better to have the biggest heart.

10. Be huggable; soft and cuddly is often the best medicine.

Thank you, Pooh, you silly old bear, for your gentle example of love and friendship. To quote your own words, "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."