We brushed his mane back for this picture :)
Hello everyone! Have you ever had those days where you get out the house and out of your own head in such a needed way?
My lovely daughter turned 16 two days ago, and this past weekend my husband and son were off at a soccer tournament, which meant that she and I had our apartment to ourselves. She had asked for a new ear piercing as part of her birthday gift, and so I booked her an appointment for midday Saturday at Rowan along Michigan Avenue here in Chicago. Her piercing was quick and easy (this was our second time going there and we’ve had a great experience both times). We did a quick bit of shopping afterwards before ending up at the Art Institute member’s lounge for cups of tea and some reading. After that, I took my daughter into the Mary Cassatt exhibit which is a must-see while it is here. From there, we wandered into the gift shop off of the Modern Wing of the museum.
And that was when we fell in love with this guy.
They sell these at the Art Institute as stuffed animal copies of the regal lion statues that bookend the stairs leading up to the main entrance. When I first saw the stuffed lions several months back, off in the distance, it seemed like a silly souvenir, one that would end up at the bottom of a toy chest once the family returned home from their Chicago trip. But there was something on Saturday that drew me to take a closer look, and I was instantly smitten.
The OG Lion, with his partner on the other side of the steps.
It’s a funny thing, falling in love with a stuffed animal as an adult. You think you should be over those things. Me of all people should know that it doesn’t have to be this way. My English grandfather loved stuffed teddy bears and figurines. He and my grandmother gave them names and respectfully relocated them from their made-bed to a chair at the end of each day. As a child staying in their house, I knew that their teddy bears were to be treated with care and not flung all over. They had souls; there was no question in my mind. They reflected back to me the love that my grandfather felt for them.
My English grandfather with me, my cat Major, and of course, a teddy bear, circa 2009.
At the Art Institute gift shop, we noticed this one lion who had just a slightly different expression than the others. His face was a bit narrower, and his eyes implored us to love him. Yes, he actively asked us to bring him home. I feel as sure of this as I do when I know it’s time for us to go to the grocery store. This lion was ready to come home with us.
Before bringing him home, we stopped at our local rotary sushi restaurant where he had an enjoyable time watching all the plates cycling past. He was most interested in the salmon rolls, naturally.
We were home by 3:30, just before it started to get dark, feeling well-fed. My daughter was happy with her ear piercing and our rotary sushi place is her favorite place to eat. And we had our new lion, who we decided to name Rowan as a reminder of our day. We settled in for the night, watching the last Harry Potter movie. Because we had such a late lunch, we ended up cooking up a plate of French fries and that was our evening dinner-snack, which we ate on the couch under blankets, with Rowan popped up between us.
Since then, Rowan has joined us at different moments of the week. He stayed in my daughter’s room on her birthday, and was propped up at our table last night while she did homework and I worked on my coaching business.
Sometimes, we just need to treat our inner child to some extra love. A new stuffed animal to hug. A bowl of French fries on the couch. A snuggly blanket. And extra cuddles with someone who has become such a gorgeous young adult that you can hardly hold in your pride and gratitude as you watch a movie together.
All in all, it was a good day. xo
