Just before Bo left for China, my sister-in-love presented us with the cutest going away present. She gave us a set of panda bear Webkinz, one with a pink bow around the neck and one with a red bow.
I’ll have to admit, we didn’t get quite as excited about the Webkinz as our niece and nephew did…but hey-at least I had heard of a Webkinz, which is more than I could say for Bo! After the kids told us all about the pandas and how we could go online and create a habitat for them and feed them and take care of them…and after my mind was boggled by how a 4-year-old is more computer savvy that I am…I reached in and pulled out the special treat that was tucked in the bag with the Webkinz.
My precious SIL wrote a little story for us as encouragement for the journey ahead, and I seriously teared up at her thoughtfulness. This is what she wrote…
The Grand Adventures of Boman and Bexley
Once upon a time there was a handsome boy panda bear named Boman and a beautiful young panda bear named Bexley. Bowman grew up in the Memphis Zoo. Although he traveled from time to time, he never called anywhere else home. Having lived in amazing zoos all over the United States, Bexley was more of a “home is where the heart is” kind of panda. Boman lived for the music but still studied hard, and Bexley was serious about her education but explored her creative side whenever she got the chance. They complimented each other perfectly, but just didn’t know how well…yet.
One day, not long after they had met, Boman noticed how shiny Bexley’s fur was and how sweet she smelled. Bexley started to admire how Boman could reach the tallest bamboo stalks and also couldn’t help but notice his cute bushy hind-quarters. As they spent more and more time together, it became clear to them (and everyone around them) that they were meant to be mates for life.
They settled into a nice home in their own little corner of the zoo in Memphis, but it wasn’t long before they started feeling the call of the wild, as young pandas often do.
A zoo in Miami made a very tempting offer. They would teach Boman all about the work life of pandas in China, and then the happy couple would journey to the foreign land. This would be the two’s most exotic adventure together. They would be working to bridge the gap between the pandas of their homeland and the ancient society of pandas in China. Being the adventurous young pandas that they were, they decided that this path was just right for them.
It wasn’t going to be easy. They would be leaving their families and the comforts of home. Bexley was going to miss the beach and all the baby pandas her sisters had. Bowman was worried that the bamboo in China was going to taste different and that he would long for his little corner of the Memphis Zoo. But even with all these fears, they knew this trip was going to be exciting and challenging, which are two things that are hard to come by in Memphis.
The hardest part of all was that Boman was going to have to go to China first to set up house before Bexley could join him. For a few months, they would be an entire world apart.
To ease the hardship, each of the bears would be traveling with a human companion. Bexley would be staying in the States with a kind lady named Becca, while Boman had his friend Bo to work with. Whenever one got lonely, they turned to their human for comfort and a friendly ear.
Before they knew it, the time had flown by and the two pandas were reunited again. Together they faced the world. Hand in hand, they could conquer anything, and so, they lived happily ever after.
The End
We love you, Lynn! And we can’t thank you enough for this creative and heartfelt gift. Let’s just hope the ending of the story comes true soon!!!
