By RAVINA PATEL
Staff Writer

She was one of the only girls who openly admitted having a teddy bear in college. Some people teased her for keeping one at her age, but they did not realize that the teddy bear had been with her through everything. As a baby, it was big enough to keep her from falling out of the crib. As a toddler, her teddy bear was her best friend by day, her protector from nightmares and the monsters under her bed by night. It was always willing to play dress up and have tea parties. When her parents fought, it consoled her. When she was bullied as a teenager, it comforted her and made her feel less alone. Whenever she felt overwhelmed from school pressure, she could cuddle up with her teddy bear and remember what it felt like to be young and happy. It was even her good luck charm when she went for her college interview. It had been with her forever, and she would not part with it now.