Rescuing Daisy

Now don't laugh, but Daisy is my beloved stuffed hippopatamus that I sleep with nearly every night. She's my little piece of childhood that I'll never be too old to let go of. She's cashmere soft, gray with tiny ears and coal black button eyes. She's been there for me when I'm sick, and she's soaked up my tears when I've been sad. She nestles in the crook of my arm and is cushiony soft against my cheek throughout the night.

Some mornings she helps me wake Sid with a silly little song we sing together (Daisy and me, not Sid). She perches on his chest and with the help of my hand moving her arms up and down and her head bobbing back and forth, we sing a song to wake him up.

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you! It won't be a stylish marriage, cuz I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet, upon the seat of a bicycle built for two!"

Then it's giggles and smiles and Sid's magically awake! Works every time!

The other morning as I made the bed, I set Daisy on the rocking chair and hurried off to get ready for work. About a half hour later I realized it was awfully quiet in the house. Where was my slobbermonster scamp of a dog who's usually grunting around my feet all morning? Quiet cannot be a good thing!

I walked into the living room, but Tubby was nowhere to be found. I could hear him grunting though, so I followed the noise into the bedroom where I fully expected to find him chewing on one of my shoes. Sure enough, there he was laying next to the bed chewing furiously on. . . OH NO! Not my Daisy!!! My poor, precious little Daisy! I screamed, "Tubby! No!" and snatched her out of his slobbery jowls. She looked up at me with her tiny black button eyes as if she was saying, "Mama! How could you let that awful dog do that to me?"

My sweet Daisy was absolutely drenched in doggie drool. I chased Tubby out of the room and took Daisy to the laundry room to further traumatize her with a splash in the washing machine and a bounce in the dryer. I thought, if she survives this morning it will be a miracle!

Later that night, when I got home from work, there was my soft, cuddly Daisy waiting for me to come home. You'd never know the terror she had witnessed earlier that morning. I grabbed her up and took her into the bedroom, but this time I didn't recklessly toss her into the rocking chair where Tubby the Terrible could snatch her away again! From now on, I'll be much more careful with my steadfast and cherished friend!