When I was born, there was a stuffed rendition of Winnie the Pooh laid next to me in my incubator. His clothes and cap were handmade - overalls and a red shirt with a blue handkerchief about his neck. I was a very sick newborn, but Pooh was there with me. When I dropped down to under one pound and two ounces and my parents were told I was going to die, Pooh was there with me. When I got better, Pooh was there with me. When I came home and was put my bassinet, Pooh was there with me. When I scraped my knee on my bike at the age of four, Pooh was there with me. When my Uncle died at the age of thirteen, Pooh was there with me. When my first girlfriend broke me heart, Pooh was there with me. When I found the love of my life, Pooh was there with me. When my love and I went to New York and Washington DC on Senior Trip, Pooh was there with me. When I left for college freshman year, Pooh was there with me.

We all have something that gives us comfort that no human can. For you it may be that stuffed animal that you love. It may be that blanket that your grandmother made for you. It may even be a certain place. It may be a book. Whatever it is, we all have something that means more to us than anything and we would be devastated if something happened to it.

At the beginning of this semester, I had not been sleeping well. I didn't know why: I took melatonin, I took vitamins for sleeping, I tried every single way there was to get a sufficient amount of sleep. And then I went home for the weekend and realized I had left Pooh sitting next to a bag on my bed.

I felt so guilty. I had forgotten Pooh. I believed I had hurt his feelings. So I grabbed him and hugged him, in the same enveloping hug I had given him for years. "I'm sorry I forgot you, buddy," I said. "I'll do my best to never do that again. I promise"

So Pooh rode back with me to Berea College in the passenger seat of my truck - buckled up (safety first, you know). We got to my dorm and I had the best sleep I had gotten that whole semester.

But I realized it was more than sleep. It was a love for this bear that some would say is an inanimate object. Say what you want, think what you want - I don't care. He might be a bear of "very little brain", but he is a bear of 20 years worth of memories. So cherish whatever your Pooh Bear is, and don't ever forget it. Because something that has meant so much for so long has a lasting effect on a person, and there are some things that you really never "get too old for".