Sorting through the mess accumulating in my hallway this
morning, I came upon a pile of stuffed animals abandoned in the giveaway box.
We keep this box in the hallway outside the kids’ bedrooms so it is
conveniently located when they determine that an article of clothing, a book, or
a toy are no longer needed in their lives due to physical or emotional growth
(and sometimes due to the wax and wane of teenage culture). My ten-year-old
rarely contributes anything except for clothing he received for Christmas, so I
was surprised to find a collection of once treasured stuffies in the bottom of
the box.
I admit that my eyes got misty when I spied the colorful
fish amongst the other animals. The fish was my child’s first Webkin. I’m
certain that Webkins will someday be what Smurfs are to my generation – a relic
that causes a mixture of nostalgia and embarrassment when they appear in
present day media or in the back window of someone’s car. My two younger
children amassed a sizable collection, which is impressive considering those
were the days of dial-up.
