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Registered: ‎03-22-2014

Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help

 

 

I agree with what this Mom posted on Parents.com.

 

I'm tired of internet cynicism.

 

What the Internet Did With This Kid's Lost Toy Elephant Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity

 

"Just when we thought the Internet didn't know how to play nice...

 

My daughter is so attached to her stuffed bear, she dresses him every day and talks to him as if he is a real person. So I can imagine the pain another child felt upon losing a cherished stuffed elephant. But what Photoshop users on the Internet did to help ease that separation anxiety, however, was almost worth the anguish.

 

The toy elephant's epic journey to far off places began when user kontankarite posted to Reddit, "Friend's son lost his favorite toy. Parents said the elephant is traveling around the world. Would love to share images of his travels with the son."

 

I can only imagine how delighted the child was upon seeing the missing toy wasn't lost in a ditch somewhere. And as if these images weren't enough, according to Cheezburger.com, someone even found the exact elephant on eBay so the child's parents could purchase a replacement. For when he's done with his travels, of course.

 

Just when I thought the Internet was just a collection of mean trolls waiting to pounce on anyone and anything with hurtful comments, this story has restored my faith in humanity!"

 

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Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help

This is AWESOME! 

Thanks for sharing Woman Happy 

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Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help

@newziesuzie  Thanks for sharing!   Sweet story! What an opportunity to teach lessons about geography, too!Cat Very Happy

I'm not short...I'm fun size!
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Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help


@chrystaltree wrote:
Spoiler
 

It's a very cute story.  Obviously designed for social media and it's getting a lot of buzz and I'm sure it will be shown on all the morning tv shows.  But, as real life mom, I would never have done such a thing.  First, it's lie.  A huge and contrived  lie.  I wouldn't have been able to tell such an elaborate lie to my child.  Second, all of childhood is one big learning experience.  Things like losing favorite toys are usually painful but if parents handle that loss in an age appropriate and HONEST way, the child learns to accept lost and learns how to deal with it.  It's also helps children differentiate between the love we feel for our THINGS and the love we feel for people.  So, yes.  These people will get their 30 second bit on a bunch of shows but they deprived their child of a real life experience. 

 


 

What a sad comment on childhood.

 

There aren't many moms who were more 'real world' than I was, but to deny children the magic of imagination and fantasy is just cruel.

 

Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, imaginary friends, and even ghost stories are all part of the magic and fun of childhood.

 

Life gets hard and real, earlier in children's lives than ever before, and going to the trouble to do fun things like this, are the sign of a truly involved and loving parent. 

 

The kid will come to know the real world soon enough.

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Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help


@Pandalady wrote:

@newziesuzie  Thanks for sharing!   Sweet story! What an opportunity to teach lessons about geography, too!Cat Very Happy


 

          Great point about geography, @Pandalady!   I think this is a sweet story.   I don't see anything wrong with adding a little magic to a child's life, and there are plenty of ways to mix that with the facts we all eventually need to learn along the way.   Thanks for sharing this, @newziesuzie!

 

 

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova
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Registered: ‎02-21-2014

Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help

[ Edited ]

@chickenbutt wrote:

Oh my goodness!  So cute.   So, will his little elephant find his way back to the little boy?  I sure hope so.


 

@chickenbutt In a follow up story

someone found a identical plush elephant so

maybe the little child will have a new "relative"

of travelling elephant. 😊

 

Thanks for all the posts everybody!

❤️

 

 


••• Please adopt don't shop ••• Save a life adopt a pet •••
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Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help

Hi Suzie!  Oh good.

 

This is probably just me, but I felt awful thinking about him missing his favorite stuffed animal.

 

I loved stuffed animals so much and felt like they were all I had that I could love and wouldn't do anything to hurt me.

 

So, the unfortunate part was that every time the mother creature found that you loved something she would make it disappear.  I remember coming home from school and my beloved bear family was all gone.  Smiley Sad   Even now thinking about it makes me kind of sad.

 

Anyway, that is where my mind and my heart went when I thought about this child losing his favorite, special little elephant.  Heart

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Registered: ‎02-21-2014

Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help


@chickenbutt wrote:

Hi Suzie!  Oh good.

 

This is probably just me, but I felt awful thinking about him missing his favorite stuffed animal.

 

I loved stuffed animals so much and felt like they were all I had that I could love and wouldn't do anything to hurt me.

 

So, the unfortunate part was that every time the mother creature found that you loved something she would make it disappear.  I remember coming home from school and my beloved bear family was all gone.  Smiley Sad   Even now thinking about it makes me kind of sad.

 

Anyway, that is where my mind and my heart went when I thought about this child losing his favorite, special little elephant.  Heart


 

(((((((((Chickenbutt)))))))))❤️

 

 


••• Please adopt don't shop ••• Save a life adopt a pet •••
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Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help

The Velveteen Rabbit is one of my favorite childhood books.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼
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Re: 😊Child's Lost Toy 'Only Traveling' w Strangers' Help

True Story: a little boy had a stuffed animal character Calvin & Hobbs (I think).  He was traveling out of Tampa International Airport (TIA)he left it there.  Some good person turned it in to "lost & found". 

 

The boy's parents contacted TIA lost & found. The rep said they had the toy, the parent told them they would be flying home to TIA.

The administrators took his stuffed animal on a adventure of every part of TIA and video/photos.

 

When they returned they took the family and presented the little boy with his stuffed animal & book of his adventures. 

 

It it was on the news it was so cute!