This might explain why we became inexplicably sad when our Slinkies invariably developed a little hitch in their spring—a little bend or crease or knot that made them slink a little less. It taught us that everything—even the über-resilient Slinky—shows some scars.
6. Teddy Bear: Sometimes Just Being There Is Everything
Real bears are not, as a rule, cuddly. They tend to be large, toothy creatures that, if given enough reason, could easily rip our arms out of our sockets without so much as a gruff apology. Yet ever since plush teddy bears—named after the bear-hunting President Teddy Roosevelt—arrived on the scene in the early 1900s, countless children have made these critters their closest confidants.
It’s easy to see why. Stuffed with polyfill and good intentions, today’s teddy bears are the world’s best listeners, able to endure savage beatings, tearful confessions, and rib-cracking hugs without so much as a whimper. They’re so understanding that police and firemen often give teddy bears to children who’ve gone through traumatic experiences. The bear’s presence, officials say, tends to stabilize them.
The lesson these bears impart is as simple as the bears themselves: You don’t always need to have the right words, or do the perfect deed, to make people feel better. Sometimes, all you need to do is be there for them.
7. Tinkertoys: Look for Big Possibilities in the Ordinary
Sticks and stones, it has been said, can break bones. Tinkertoy’s sticks and spokes, though, can open doors to wonders galore.
Tinkertoys, like most of the best toys, are pretty simple: Each Tinkertoy package contains loads of colored sticks of different length (plastic or wood, depending on the type you buy), circular wheel-like spokes and tiny plastic flags—all of which can be connected to one another. There are no instructions, really—no “right way” to play with them. It’s up to a child’s own creativity to decide what to do with them. They could make a simple car, or a working windmill, or—if they attended Cornell University—a working robot.
Most of us never quite managed to get a robot out of our store-bought collection of sticks and spokes. But Tinkertoys did allow us to see oversized possibilities in the most mundane of objects. And we’ve built on that ability ever since.
By Paul Asay for BeliefNet
