Guest post from our CDS family: Mandi –
Mrs. Prickly, a small, pink, stuffed porcupine taught my 4-year-old a valuable lesson. Through nothing more than a glorified bean bag with a smile, that toy showed that there are good people in the world, and not so good people in the world, that there are people who will have your back, and people who will literally steal from a baby. The story begins on a night like any other, a family outing to Chipotle. Each kid grabbed a toy to occupy them at the table, Emma brought Mrs. Prickly. She proudly set up her friend on the seat next to her and proceeded to eat. During the meal, her 2-year-old brother began acting-up, and having compassion for other people, and not wanting to have the screaming baby in the restaurant, we decided to leave. In our haste, we forgot the beloved stuffie. The mom-error was quickly discovered, and we returned within the hour. I went to the counter only to find that someone had taken Mrs. Prickly and not turned her in to the lost and found. Disappointed that a parent would let their child take someone else’s obviously loved toy, I checked back every day to see if someone, noticing the NOT-YOURS toy, returned it. Time passed and no luck. The people behind the counter apologized for not having her and said they would keep an eye out. Soon after, I complained to my friend, a mom from my daughter’s class. The Primary classes become small families; the children care for each other, and the parents form a community (cliché sounding, but true, and one of the reasons we are proud Mustangs). This is where the story shows that there are thoughtful hearts out there, and some of those hearts are at Country Day! My phone buzzed, it was a text message, “Mrs. Prickly will be making an appearance at Emma’s Birthday!” Several months since the disappearance, my friend tracked down a new Mrs. Prickly. Her daughter, Paisley, made it her personal mission to reunite her friend with the fuzzy porcupine. Paisley, and her mom who spent lots of time searching and shelled out big bucks to purchase the “retired” toy, are shining examples of caring people and why our school community is so special. Mrs. Prickly arrived, as the guest of honor, to Emma’s birthday in a beautiful box wrapped in a bow. The unboxing was a special moment between the two girls, as Paisley saw the joy on Emma’s face. Mrs. Prickley does not leave the house anymore, but lives on Emma’s bed as a reminder that in a search for something prickly, we found we already had found a wonderful friendship.