Our family has gone through so much over the time, as most families do, and some maybe experienced a similar story our when it come to the ____ war, or really any war.
My great grandfather fought in the _______ war.
I heard stories of my great grandmother being worried, and frustrated, and sad about him leaving her side to go fight, but at the same time she was proud to have such a brave and amazing husband.
During the war, as I can imagine, it was painful, stressful and most importantly hard. My great grandmother was left at home with 5 kids, 2 boys and 3 girls. My great grandparents didn't have a lot of family themselves or they lived too far away to help when my great grandfather left for the war. So she was completely alone struggling as a "single mother" and then also had to worry and stress if her husband was ever going to come home.
I cant even imagine how she felt, but from my grandmother, who was the older child, I hear that she held it all together, despite all the "issues". They were happy for the most part, as happy as they can be. My grandmother says it was good that there was so many of them because they kept each other busy, and my great grandmother.
So, when the war was coming to an end, my great grandmother was happy and couldn't wait to see her husband. When the day finally came for him to come back, he did not arrive on time with his train.
This is where the teddy comes in.
My great grandfather was supposed to arrive sometime in the morning. My great grandmother left my grandmother at home with her siblings and headed over to the train station by herself. Her plan was to welcome him alone, the love of her life, with open arms and no stress.
Now, when she arrived, she patiently waited all morning, into the afternoon, but there was no sign of her husband. She began to worry and started crying. My grandmother said when she came home she looked as if shed'd been crying for hours. Which was true, but not why you think.
My grandmother then told me that her mother was waiting and waiting and she didn't give up hope, she told herself..maybe hes running late or maybe something got delayed, and she waited..
Finally, after the sun had gone down, my great grandfather arrived and what was he holding...the teddy.
He went on to explaining to my great grandmother that somewhere along the way of him leaving his station and getting to her he saw the teddy being sold at a little stand near the train station so he stopped in and get it for her. He explained that this as the first time he had seen a "The war is over" bear and needed to get it for his wife as a coming home present to say I am back and here to stay- the war is over. But everyone else also wanted the bear so the line was super long and he missed his train.
Long story short, this is why my great grandmother came home looking as if she'd been crying for hours. They were sad tears and then happy tears that made her face puffy and red.
This story was so heart warming and just lovely that I could not pass up the opportunity to preserve it and share it with my children and their children. This is what true love is all about!