Well-loved gift makes surprise return

A Christmas miracle came early this year for Milly Anderson of Windhaven. 

A small stuffed bear represents decades of memories and love to her. She first received “Bear” at the age of four – 90 years ago – during the Great Depression. Her family had little money or material possessions, but Milly found great joy visiting her grandparents down the road. Her grandfather, a pipe smoker, collected coupons from his tobacco cans to redeem for what would become a cherished toy. “I counted and I counted coupons,” Milly remembers. “And finally, we could send them in, and I got my bear.” 

Bear remained her constant companion through childhood until she outgrew him and her mother lovingly packed Bear away, safeguarding him for decades. After her mother’s passing, Bear returned to Milly.

When she moved to Windhaven in 2020, amidst the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, Bear was misplaced. “Everything was packed up and some things were thrown away, you know. I didn't know what happened to Bear.”  

Milly kept asking her family if anyone had found her precious toy, to no avail – until about a month ago. “Suddenly someone in the family had a box, and there was Bear. Like a little miracle. And so Bear came back to me.” 

Reflecting on her childhood, she fondly recalls simple joys shared with her grandmother: making hollyhock dolls, pretending to bake mud pies, and gathering eggs. “There was so much love there,” she says. “I think when you are really poor like that, there’s so much more love.”

For her, Bear is more than a toy—he’s a symbol of enduring love and resilience.