When I asked my kids what friendship means to them, my 6 year old said, “having fun together and being nice.”  My almost 11 year old said, “friendship is liking the same things and not getting mad at eachother.”  My oldest daughter has two BFF’s (best friends forever) that she loves hanging out with, texting, and sharing stories with, her response was, “people who make your day is what friendship is all about!”  Friendship to me is someone that you make memories with that you remember for a lifetime. I have a fond memory about a long-time friend.  She was my friend since first grade, and still is to this day.  Amy and I in elementary school began something we called “summer pen pals.”  We were probably in 3rd or 4th grade at the time and long before cell phones, Facebook, and all the new social media we wanted to keep in touch after school was out for the summer.

Amy and I would use old fashioned snail mail to write letters to eachother on pretty stationery, inclose a few stickers (remember Mrs. Grossman’s?!) and address it in our own juvenile print, stamp it and put it in the mailbox with the flag up!  Normally the mail would get delivered the next day or two and the excitement when you saw your name on a piece of mail.

What would she say?  What sticker would I get?  Would it be a bear, a rainbow, a glittery one?  Ooh this letter has a picture in it.  Oh the thrill and excitement.   I wished I had saved some of those letters.  Written notes by hand are few and far between nowadays replaced by text, email, and instant messaging.  I do want to grab one of my youngest daughter’s friends and suggest we do something like this for the summer.  The girls have learned quite a bit of writing in Kindergarten this year and this will encourage keeping it up over the summer as well as staying in touch with those special friends they made their first year in school!

Boy have times changed, but what remains the same is the friendship I have with Amy.  Though we live in different areas and the letters may only come at the holidays, I hope Amy knows that all the fond memories remain and she will always have a special place in my heart!

Do you have a special memory of a friend?  What does Friendship mean to you?

Read more about Friends Count on the Behind the Seams Blog, a Build-a-Bear Workshop collaboration.

Build-a-Bear Workshop never ceases to amaze me with all the adorable ideas they have for all the seasons of the year.  Right now you can make your very own Valentine’s Day Love Bears or Love Bugs in store and boy are they adorable!

For $16 your white bear comes adorned with read ears and soles of feet with pink hearts all over the body and face.  Also for $16 the Love bug comes complete with wings and antennae!  Deck your new friends out with girl and boy attire and you have the perfect Valentine’s gift for your loved one!  Also for a limited time you can get a FREE headband with purchase of a Love Bear or Love Bug ($5 value).

Huggable Heroes
Each year for the past eight years, Build-A-Bear Workshop, through its Huggable Heroes program, has searched for and recognized young leaders who make positive contributions in their communities or around the world. This year, ten Huggable Heroes, between the ages of eight and 18, from the United States and Canada, will be selected and honored for their good deeds. Each of the ten Huggable Heroes will receive a prize worth $10,000 ($7,500 in the form of an educational scholarship and $2,500 from the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation to be donated to the 501(c)(3) charity of each Huggable Hero’s choice). In addition, the Huggable Heroes will win a trip for themselves and a guardian to St. Louis, the home of Build-A-Bear Workshop World Bearquarters. During their visit, the Huggable Heroes will meet each other, be honored for their good deeds and participate in seminars and a community service project. In addition, they will be featured in the 2012 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes Calendar.

Entries are being accepted now through February 28, 2011 at http://www.lovehugssmiles.com/huggableHeroes.aspx or by picking up an entry form at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in the United States and Canada.

We received a GC  for review and giveaway..