Bye bye bear

Little Nicholas loved climbing into his bear chair.  It was soft and snuggly and hugged him always.  Bear moved from Costa Mesa to Miami to Hinsdale, a good companion for watching TV or reading. But little boys grow up and cast off stuffed animals, for even though bear was a chair, he was a stuffed animal first. Bear met his final resting place in the basement, until this week, when covered with mice droppings, he was carried off to the farm.

Old and worn out, no longer plush and pretty, bear burned brightly once more and was gone except in the memory of a little boy and his mom...

and dad.