This might sound a little out there, but I "play" with a plushie bear. And his name is Fuzzy Bear!
He knows all my secrets (good listener!
) I kind of think of him as a very low maintenance pet. In my "conversations" with him, he always says nice things, good self-esteem, encouraging kind of stuff. You know, the kind of things that are sometimes hard to say to yourself when you don't have the greatest self-esteem -- like from growing up. Somehow it is easier to funnel them through another entity. The hugs are great too.
(He's in my photos here. I've had him for almost 30 years.)
There ya have it -- old(ish) lady still hangs out with her teddy bear.
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Makes me sick to the heart, Oh I feel so tired. And the way the rain comes down hard, that's how I feel inside.
--The Cure