April 7, 2017
This is "Hippo and Blankie". These two items have been a part of Parker's life since the beginning. He slept with them every night, dragged them all over the house, brought to every sleepover and came on every trip. Only a few special people new about them, he didn't like everyone to know he had them. You can probably see a red blanket and little glimpse of hippo in a lot of his photos over the years. They were stained and ragged from being washed so many times. I would have to sneak them in the laundry when he was at school because he hated it when they were clean. He would hold them close and smell them. The smelling brought comfort to him. He would just go into his room just for a quick sniff.
Stella loved them too. Like every chance she had she would steal them. She would steal them and want him to chase her. She wouldn't chew them or hide them. She just wanted to play her favorite game with him. He would get so mad at her - they were his prize possessions.
When he was going through all of his testing, they were there. All of his surgeries, they were there. All of his hospital stays, they were there. They now stay on my bed, neatly folded during the day and wrapped around me at night. Stella has not touched them since he has passed. She has every opportunity during the course of the day or night and she doesn't. Not even a little. She knows he wouldn't want her to, it's not a fun game anymore. She is preserving them because she knows that I need them now. To smell and to sleep with every night.
This is how we could find him just watching tv. Hippo and Blankie always there.
