Cancer Bear

When I was 17 I got skin cancer. I guess I was scared, but all I remember are the motions -- Going to the hospital, my mom helping me decide what to wear to surgery, what books to bring. When I got back from surgery my uncle had given me a stuffed bear, waiting on the couch where I would lay for the next week. I attached myself to that object more than my stuffed animals when I was little. It scares me how much love I feel for him, how much comfort something so silent can give me. Honestly, I don't believe he's lifeless.