On being alone and the meaning of Beany

I am all alone this weekend. Sometimes that's OK but sometimes alone really means lonely. I am particularly lonely today and it got me to thinking.

When my brother Brian was young - maybe 4 or 5 or 6 - he had a Beany doll that looked a little like this one. He had two older sisters who didn't particularly like being saddled with this boy-child-brother so we weren't very nice to him and I think maybe Beany made him feel a little less lonely. 

So as family legend has it, Mom left Beany at the Jack and Jill Shoe Store in the hopes that Brian wouldn't play with dolls any more. After all what self-respecting boy in the late 50's - early 60's played with dolls? So predictably Beany was never found. Remember I said family legend. There are, like with most stories, varying versions of this one.

I found this picture of a Beany doll online and posted it on Facebook one November 9 which is Brian's birthday. Brian may not have as many more birthdays as we'd all like but the good news is that he isn't alone and he's not lonely. He has his Kim and his kids and his grandkids with one more on the way and our mom and our other brother with him. He is a brave and strong man and is surrounded by so much love. I guess that's what really counts.

It's good that Brian is neither alone nor lonely. All weekend his wonderful children have been posting their favorite pictures of him on Facebook and so did I. It's below and it's my cover photo. And I will work on finding my own Beany.