Everyone should have a stuffed animal in their life that they can hold on to for as long as they need. The idea that we grow out of the teddy bear stage is ridiculous. From a young age, our stuffed animal is with us for every tantrum, road trip, and nap we have in our childhood. We looked to our fluffy friends as a source of comfort and safety. Let's face it, as a 5-year-old, there's nothing better than hugging your teddy bear.
As we grow up, we tend to ignore that part of our young self by hiding it in a closet with other baby stuff or passing it down to a younger generation. But the idea of getting rid of stuffed animals all together is not practical and kind of sad. Stuffed animals can be a great source to relieve stress, as shown by any toddler who is getting over a crying session. This type of de-stress can help anybody, no matter where they are in life. There is nothing stopping someone from bringing their childhood friend with them through high school, college, or even grad school. Now, you probably shouldn't drag them across the floor of the hallway on your way to classes or buckle them in the passenger seat before driving to work, but the idea of having an item to reduce stress should be prominent in everyone's life.
Responsibility, maturity, and professionalism are important qualities to build into your life while you are in college, but, just like childhood, we are still learning. Given everything we learned in childhood, we know there are specific ways to act. There are moments in college where I feel like a little tantrum kid again, as if the whole world is going to end because I messed up and now there's nothing to do but cry and feel sorry for myself. It's frowned upon to deal with certain situations the same way I did when I was five. But once I'm done being a grown up, I know I can reach for my teddy bear and release all the stress in a single hug. Somehow hugging a stuffed animal makes everything a little better. All of my anger and frustration from a situation dissolves into the fibers of that fluffy bear. And then I can think clearly as a 20-year-old again.
As children, we see our stuffed animals as imaginary friends to bring along on backyard explorations and journeys to the park. As adults, we may see them as reminders of childhood and of happy times, but that doesn't meaning they can't still hold a place in your current life. Please don't take this in a creepy way; I only mean that it's important to have a source to relief your stress and it could possibly help more if it has been a part of your life since childhood. Because, seriously, what's better than a teddy bear hug?
