Mulligan T. Bear

The Life and Times of Mulligan T. Bear

Forward:

When Mary started kindergarten, she was with her birth father.  She didn’t get to finish that year at the same school.  When she left, she had in her grip a puple plastic shoe box that housed a small teddy bear by the name of Mulligan T. Bear.  The instructions on the inside of the shoe box were that each child was to take Mulligan home for 2 nights and add to his journal.  The children could draw pictures, write notes, include family photos with Mulligan, and talk about the different kinds of food that he tried, or the different family traditions he was included in.

Mary did not want to let go of Mulligan.  It was important to her, as a kindergartner, that she make sure Mulligan was safe.  Mulligan made it all the way to our house with her!

I wanted so badly to get in touch with the teacher who started Mulligan’s journey because it was due to her attention that Mary is where she is now.  This teacher did exactly what she was supposed to do, and the end result is that Mary is now safe, loved emensly and cared for properly.  Our attorney advised against reaching out to the teacher until our adoption was final.  Well it’s final now, and reach out I did.  I let the teacher know my appreciation for all she did, and she in turn let me know how special Mary was to her.  She had, in fact, wondered what had become of the bright-eyed little girl with a dirty face and unkempt hair.  She was glad to hear the happy ending.  As for Mulligan, she said Mary could keep the bear, or she could write in his journal and send him back to be a courage bear for some other little girl or boy who might need to be as brave as Mary had been…