My Mother's Bear

When I was about ten, my mother returned from a trip to Denmark with this adorable, wooden bear. I was delighted with her present, only to find out it was not a gift for me at all, but something she bought for herself. What? Oh, the injustice of it all!

My mother has always loved animals, and while her sisters collected dolls throughout their childhood, my mother amassed an amazing collection of Steiff animals (which, happily, she still has). So, I can see why she wanted the bear. As I grew up and moved out of the house, her bear sat stalwart on the kitchen windowsill--perhaps reminding her, as she did the dishes, of a life before chores and responsibility. But I still coveted that bear.

Lucky for me, my mother has such good taste. For low and behold, her bear has become a design classic and is still around. In fact, it's been around since 1951, when Danish designer Kay Bojesen created it. Then I saw the price. (More proof that it's a design classic.) I called my mother up, "Mom, do you know your little bear is now worth $125"?

Well now that I'm a mother myself and enjoy my own financial independence, I think I might spring for the bear. Or maybe I'll get the equally fabulous elephant or monkey to mix it up a bit. But rather than give it to my son, I'm going to put it on my own kitchen windowsill. 'Cause after all, sometimes a mother has to buy a few toys for herself.