A Strange Object of Comfort

A child’s toy carries memories through the ages.

Spider Dude, welcome to the world. Everyone, meet Spider Dude. Yes, I am aware this is not a spider considering he only has six legs and antennae. He should have eight legs and no antennae to be in the spider family, to be accurate. Don’t tell him that.

Spider Dude sounded cool and endearing when my firstborn entered this world, so the name stuck. This little guy is 23 years old. He has been a source of comfort for my children on doctor visits, traveling out of town, and sleepless nights. He’s been cuddled, sucked on, and hugged so many times I am surprised he’s in such good shape. He’s been in many pictures throughout the kids’ albums linking milestones and life stories.

As the kids outgrew the need for his constant presence, he remained insight throughout our home. He’d get picked up or thrown to each other in fun or joking around. After thousands of washes over two decades, he remains bright, attentive, and still smiling.

In his senior years, for a so-called spider, he moved slower but still provided me company and comfort. He enjoys his peaceful pedestal atop my pencil sharpener on my writing desk, watching over me.

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Enjoy an article from a talented fellow writer Sahil Patel and his collection of poems.