The Paper Angel Mission - A Stuffed Monkey

If you have been following my blog at all, you know after my challenge presented to me from Country Music singer Jimmy Wayne ("Paper Angels", "Do You Believe Me Now", "You Are", "Sara's Smile"). If you don't know the details of that encounter, you will need to read the blog titled "One From The Heart" to completely understand where I am coming from on this one.

As I was decorating the Christmas Tree at my business with the Salvation Army Paper Angels, I went ahead and I picked my angel out I wanted to adopt. You see, I do not have any children of my own (waiting on the marriage part first). I have always wanted a little girl. So, I decided this year I would have me a little girl to buy for to be a baby girl for me. Her name is Gracie. She is a one year old angel.

I have already done a little shopping for her. There are the cute little outfits to buy her. The dolls. The toys that make a lot of noise so her parents will know she is there. But, as I was looking around the other night at Wal-Mart, I had one of those ummm hmmmmm moments again. I wanted to buy her something similar as to what I had as a gift when I was little that I have kept all these years later. A toy I had as a child and still have today... I intend on writing her a letter as a keepsake for her parents to give her one day when she grows up and is able to understand why I decided to buy her this odd gift.

As I was walking down each of the aisles at Wal-Mart, I was trying to think of something unique and different to get her. I was thinking of the times from when I was a child what was the most important gift I ever received. And I say important as well as meaning most treasured gift I had gotten. One which has stayed with me all these years later.

I will be 36 in March, 2012. As far back as I can remember as a child, my parents got me a stuffed monkey that I adored like a normal child would adore a blankie. I have never claimed to be your typical child. Haha. He and I were like two peas in a pod. It was a plush animal monkey. It has the plastic face. It's left hand is a normal toy plastic hand. But his right hand was wrapped around a plastic banana. Oh, and he had on white shoes... (Update on monkey's current features... Face is completely colored in with blue ink. At some point, I cut half of his banana off.)

When I was little, we are talking before I could walk and talk, there were two things that would calm me down when everything else seemed to fail when my parents tried it all. I was having one of those crying fits one day and nothing Mama did seemed to be helping. She just happened to put me on a blanket in front of the TV... And the KING of Rock and Roll calmed me right down. See, even as a baby and before I could talk, I LOVED me some Elvis Presley. I won't deny the fact that I still love that man's voice to this day!!! Mama soon realized, if ever I was having one of my non-stop crying fits, find the Elvis 8 track tapes or records very quickly!!! (Family rumors have it that he is a distant cousin. Thanks to Ancestry.com, it has now been confirmed a fact!!!) Maybe it is his voice that could even swoon babies over. But my Daddy loved to think he could sing like Elvis. Afterall, he did have the dark hair like Elvis did. I must have thought Elvis was my Daddy!!! Daddy was an 18-wheeler truck driver and was gone on the road a lot. So Elvis was my fill in!!! Daddy and Elvis favored a lot. The hair. The eyes. And a heart of gold!

The second thing I used to love to watch as a child was "King Kong". The old cheesy original version, not this new technological stuff. I would sit and watch it every time it came on. I even remember when we lived in the single wide mobile home we sold when I was five years old, watching that movie and being snuggled up to Mr. Monkey. Me and Mr. Monkey on the green & tan plaid couch. Of course, me crying in the end when Kind Kong was killed. I went every where with that newly applied blue make-up called ink faced monkey.

Mama tells a story of how one night, Mr. Monkey was misplaced and I cried and cried all night... I did not get any sleep that night. I really pulled an all nighter until they found him at my Granny's house the next day. Granny's house was about 100 ft from where the single wide used to be. It is the house I live in now... But Mama and Daddy were sooooo happy and relieved that my best side kick was found...

So, I have decided for my angel Gracie, I will be getting her a stuffed Mr. Monkey. One that is as close to the one I have hidden in one of my boxes full of childhood memories. Just because, I will have to look and find my Mr. Monkey really soon... When I do, I will add his photo to this blog post!!!

Yes, I am officially on a mission. I will be looking for and finding me a stuffed monkey to give to Gracie this year. Along with a special little note from my heart to hers. To hopefully pass on a legacy she will one day understand. Life is all about family and friends whom you love and cherish dearly. It is all about blessing the lives of the others around you... To share the love I was given as a child to another child is a blessing for me.

And when the time comes and I have a little girl or boy of my own, they too will own a Mr. Monkey of their own. Come to think of it... I may look for two Mr. Monkey's this year. This way, I can keep it as a memory of the 1st year I participated in the Salvation Army Paper Angel Tree Program. Then when the time is right to tell my child the meaning behind the monkey, I hope it will touch his/her heart as much as giving this gift has meant to me this year!!!

UPDATE...

I did not find a monkey like I wanted to give to Gracie. However, as I was looking thru all those stuffed animals I ran across a plush stuffed elephant. As I was standing there, my heart skipped a few beats as smile came across my face... In the back of my mind I could hear a familiar voice singing "Elephant Ears that will be our code"... So, I purchased not one but two elephants that night. Why did I purchase two? Well, as I stated I wanted to give Gracie a letter as to why I got involved with the Paper Angel Program. The second elephant I have at home. I keep it out where I can see it on the desk in my office at home. Every time I see it, I think of Gracie. But, my sole purpose for purchasing two was because one day, when I meet my Prince Charming and he sweeps me off my feet... Then when we have a child, this will be a stuffed animal with a story behind it. I will get to pass the story on to the next generation. I will be able to share the Jimmy Wayne story and the Paper Angel Story and Gracie to my children. Once they are old enough, it will be a tradition they understand as to why we do it!!!