A Boy and His Lion

Christmas 1993, Huntington Beach, California. Will Casey is three weeks past turning one year old and celebrating Christmas at his Nana & Papa’s house. It’s Will’s second Christmas, but his first with awareness. Too young to know or care about Santa or Baby Jesus, Will knows only that there are lots of new toys being opened and they seemed to be for him. The toys stacked taller than he was, and from the safety of his mother’s lap, Will took it all in. He really wasn’t feeling very well on this trip, but toys are great medicine. Among his sister’s gifts was a Lion puppet. It had plastic brown eyes, soft fur, and a huge bushy mane.

Will had to touch that mane, and he did.

From that moment on ‘Lion’ belonged to Will. They were together always. By the next Christmas, Lion even came along with Will and Katie when they visited Santa,

and when he joined his family for a White House family Christmas photo.

And when he wasn’t traveling with Will on such exciting days as the first day of pre-school,

Lion and Will could most frequently be found napping together, like they are here with Will’s Aunt Jill.

Luckily for Will, his kind and generous older sister never begrudged him for taking her gift. She understood that Lion and Will were friends.

There were others. Others who tried to compete for Will’s attention, and he was willing to give them a try. There was Abu,

and bunny.

There was Mickey,

and Pooh.

There was even eventually a baby sister, but pulling her hair just wasn’t the same.

None of them lasted (well, the sister did), and no one knows where they are now. Lion was always there.

And he still is today. A bit worn after 17 years (his tail fell off years ago, but it’s safely stored inside his puppet head), but still Will’s Lion.

The End.