Max's New Year Resolutions:
No more Pelt.
No more thumb-sucking.
How do you properly honor (and mourn) the loss of your best friends? With a party, of course! Max made cupcakes - strawberry with vanilla icing - per Pelt's request. He even took pictures of the cooking process with his new camera to commemorate the event (can you tell he is my child?)
Max served as host. The guest list included Nana and Papa Mike, Mimi and Babba, Baby Sarah, and Mommy and Daddy. Everyone gathered to share remembrances of Pelt and study the photo albums highlighting his life with Max.
As the party progressed, the impending loss began to make Max quiet and a little sad.
The guests said their goodbyes.
And the time had come.
Max decided to give Pelt to a child at the hospital. He said, "That little boy or girl may not have a lovey. They may need someone to hold." He wrote a letter to this unknown child:
Dear Friend,This is my Pelt. He was a very good friend to me. He is so special. I used to suck my thumb when I held him. Now that I'm a big boy I want someone else to have Pelt to love like I did. Please take good care of him so he doesn't miss me too much. I love Pelt and I hope you do too. I will miss him.Love, Max
Max shared a final embrace with Pelt before packing him (and Pelt #2) into a box. We wrapped the box in Christmas candy paper (Pelt's favorite) and sent him to the hospital. Max was not the only one shedding tears.
That night we looked through the photo albums of Pelt pictures before bed. Max said, "Don't worry, Mommy. I can still love him in the pictures."
And he eventually went to sleep. Without his Pelt and without his thumb.
