When I was three years old, my parents were really busy at the time. They would each work up to 60 hours per week. They barely had time to take care of me and my sister so we would be under the hands of my aunt and uncle. One day, my parents dropped us off at my uncle's house. I recall being placed on the couch with tears streaming down my face, and eyes that were crusty and half open because it was 5:30 in the morning. My mom would kiss me and my sister good-bye in her nurse's uniform and then she would walk out the door and speed off to work. Being the energetic kids that we were, we would both get up at 7 and go jump on my uncle and aunt's bed to wake them up from their tireless night-shift-shuteye. After a bowl of Cocoa Puffs and a good three hours of "4kids TV", my uncle decided to take us out grocery shopping with him. I clipped my seat belt in all by myself and we headed out to Garden Fresh Market. After a quick stop, we jumped back into my uncle's car with a handful of veggies and fruits, and a gallon of 2% milk. On the way back, the flashy-rainbow sign that read "Toys-R-Us" caught my eye. I had no idea how to read at that time, but I knew that sign meant playtime for me! Being the toy-loving-child that I was, I pleaded to my uncle to take me there. "I want to see what's there. I want to see the toys. I want a toy to take home with me." It didn't take much for him to give in and take me and my sister inside. Walking into a toy store and diving into a pile of Hotwheels or Barbies is just about every three-year-old's dream. But before noticing all the other trinkets and knickknacks, I noticed a tall pyramid of stuffed-bears. It was nothing special, just a plain old hand-stitched teddy bear with a bow tie sewed under its chin and a coating that was softer than the rugs in the bathroom in my house. In a rush, my uncle took one of the teddy bears at the top of the pyramid, paid for it, and my journey through Toys-R-Us ended as fast as a breeze passing by. Once we got back, I jumped onto my aunt's bed and asked her to unbox the teddy bear for me. She followed my command and pulled the silky skinned bear out of the box. She handed it to me with a bright smile on her face. I don't know what it was, but I was really drawn to this stuffed bear. I gave it a very typical stuffed bear name: Teddy. I took him everywhere around my uncle and aunt's house. As the day came to an end my dad came over to pick us up. He thanked my uncle and aunt for babysitting me and my sister again and as he looked down at me, he noticed me carrying Teddy. I told him the entire story in my excited and high-pitched voice. "We went to Toys-R-Us and got this bear! It's so much fun to play with! He's almost as big as I am!". My dad made me give a hug to my uncle and aunt in thanks and he told me to leave Teddy here so I could play with him when I came back. I did just that. I finally had a "friend" to play with all that time that I had to stay at my uncle and aunt's house. At the time, my clothes would fit Teddy's round body. My mom gave me one of the vests that I never wore and I took it to Teddy the next morning and put it on him like my dad used to dress me up every morning. I did everything with Teddy, I took him to the park, put him next to me when we ate lunch together, placed him on the toilet seat when it was bath time; he was my first best friend. Years passed and I still have Teddy near me. When I was about seven, my parents cut down some shifts and I would stay home a lot more than I would at my uncle and aunt's house. Dust gathered around Teddy's vest and bow tie, there was a hole in the stitching near his thigh, color faded from his velvet fur, and drink and food stains covered him. He served a great best friend the past few years, so I took him from my uncle and aunt's house to my house. Until I was twelve, Teddy would dust up near the head of my bed. After that, he was placed in a bag in the crawlspace. Recently, I went on a trip though memory lane. I dug through Christmas lights and old toys to discover my old friend in the same condition that I left him. I looked back at my past and I remember the joy Teddy brought me. I look back at teddy and I imagined him the way that I used to when I was three: sparkling eyes and a bright smile on his face. I'm eighteen years old and he still brought me joy...he was my first best friend. I carried him to my room in my new house and place Teddy in my closet.