Care Bears: Grumpy Bear

I am a child of the 80’s. One of the great things of the 80’s was the creation of the Care Bears teddy. They started out as greeting card images with the artistry by Elena Kucharik but quickly became teddy bears on sale all over the world.

I entered a colouring competition aged 8. It was a UK weekend paper so I didn’t hold up any hope a little girl across the water would win.

One day, at home time from school, we were all putting our coats on when my mum entered the classroom with a big box. It was a Care Bear! I had won and she decided to bring it to school to show it off to my teacher and friends.

It was Grumpy Bear. Obviously I didn’t choose Grumpy but boy did I grow to love that Care Bear more than anything. He came everywhere with me including three years living in Zimbabwe.

I guess by about aged 12 I had moved on but he sat in my room – a souvenir of my childhood as I became a teenager.

When I moved out he didn’t come with me but years later maybe after I had one or two of my kids my mum, in a clear out, came across him and gave him back to me.  After an initial reminiscence he got put with the stock of other soft toys in my house.

A couple of weeks ago my youngest came across him and was fascinated with him.  I think the fact that she had started watching all of the Care Bear programmes on Netflix recently made him seem familiar.  I wouldn’t say loved him though as she vomited all over him.   This forced me into washing him.  

He came out gleaming.  Not quite new given he is approximately 30 years old but looking lovely.

I sat him on my bed today and admired him.  He was my little security blanket as a child.  Tonight my youngest hugged him as she drifted off to sleep.  Will my Grumpy Bear end up a family heirloom? Time will tell but it brought back lovely memories having him around my house again.