As a child, my grandma whisked my cousin and me off to King of Prussia to choose one gift we longed to receive for Christmas. Ecstatic to explore the stores and discover the ultimate gift felt as if I were an astronaut racing through space to find what no man has witnessed. All the stores, tall as skyscrapers, were staring down begging me by their bright, colorful displays to venture in and observe their toys. King of Prussia resembled a fairytale castle a person only see in books, and I knew I would seek the one gift I dreamed about for weeks.

Finally arriving at King of Prussia, which was as exciting as witnessing the first snow of the year. I stepped into the shopping area and the atmosphere harnessed my soul with anticipation, like an actor waiting to make his first début on stage. We shopped for what felt like days, and to my surprise, I had not found the ultimate gift. One of the last stores we ventured into was piled high with stuffed animals of all kinds. The jungle with its many fragrances and pure beauty was the exact characteristics of the department store. In the middle of the store was an intriguing stuffed Saint Bernard.

At the time, the stuffed creature towered high above me as if I were a small ant looking up in to the star filled sky. I pulled him off the shelf and lay him on the floor gently like he already belonged to me. I swept my hand across his fur, which was as smooth as a new fuzzy blanket. I squeezed him lovingly as if I were cuddling a newborn baby for the very first time. He smelled like the sweetness of candy mixed with the scent of a new spring budding from the earth. I gazed into his marble eyes, which sparkled back at me like fireworks on the Fourth of July. The color of his fur was a warm brown like the color of newly made chocolate just longing to be eaten. Around one eye, a circular patch of white fur showed as bright as a child’s smile after just learned to tie their shoes.

I gracefully rested my head on him and was buried in the cozy softness of his fine stitched chocolate coat. My grandma discovered me almost asleep cuddled up against the loving body of the Saint Bernard. She knew instantly this was the gift for which I had been venturing for, and those long tiresome hours of shopping had finally paid off. I walked out of the store feeling more than satisfied with my purchase, longing for Christmas to come so he could finally be mine forever.

That Christmas present from ten years ago is still in my room lying peacefully on the floor with the same characteristics; he never got worn out or battered down. He is a priceless possession to me I will hold on to forever. The vivid memory of receiving the Saint Bernard, now named Chocolate, that Christmas day will always be a part of my childhood.