This is Remy. Isn’t he adorable?
Remy came into my life over six years ago.
When I was diagnosed with cancer in early 2014, I let my Facebook friends know what was going on in my life. Everyone is different when it comes to sharing news like that – several people I know have kept that news more private, but I weighed privacy with the support that I knew I would receive and decided on disclosure. The results were mixed (one high school friend called me up pretty much to tell me how afraid she was of getting breast cancer because her mother died of breast cancer), but I don’t regret it.
Enter Remy. He arrived in an Amazon box one day with no note inside saying who he was from. A mystery! That in itself is delightful. Eventually we found out that my Facebook friend (we’ve never met in person) Liz sent him to me to comfort me while I was going through treatment. I named him Remy because I knew his presence in my life would feel very healing – I shortened the word “remedy” to “Remy.”
Remy is super soft on the outside and filled with buckwheat hulls on the inside, so you can microwave him and use him the way you would a hot water bottle, or you can put him in the fridge or freezer and use him if you need a cold compress. I know, poor Remy! He really takes it for the team.
He used to be lavender-scented, but that wore off a few years ago. He’s also looking a little worse for the wear. I could insert a quote from The Velveteen Rabbit here, but I will save you from that!
I can’t tell you just how much comfort this little guy has brought me over the years. There’s just something about being warmed when you’re feeling cold – think roaring fire, bowl of soup, cup of tea, hot water bottle, heated blanket – that makes you feel like a small child again, in the best possible way.
xoxo