As a child and young adult even, I found myself pretty attached to my stuffed animals. I was one of those kids who would have them sitting comfortably on my bed and if I saw one that looked like it would not be able to breathe, I would readjust it lol

One stuffed animal in particular was this gray mouse that I named Dusty. I have had this thing since I was born basically. It may not have been the most cute or girly one I owned, but I had such a deeper connection with this one. It actually followed me when I got married, and I took him on every road trip and vacation. Anytime we were checking over our backpacks, making sure we got everything, my stomach would drop if I thought I had forgotten Dusty. It was a tad ridiculous, but I felt as though this mouse had been with me through so much, particularly the bad times in which I needed a hug from another human being but went without.

These past few months in which we were selling the house, I realized that it was time for me to let go of Dusty, so he now lives with my niece amongst her own army of stuffed animals lol It felt unnatural almost for me to give him up but liberating at the same time. I did not realize how much of the past I was dragging along with me through Dusty, until he was no longer there.

By the way, the image is AI, but Dusty had a similar shape, if a bit more chonky. You could make him sit and he had larger ears and was a darker gray with a white tummy 🙂