• datavoid@lemmy.ml
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    4 hours ago

    When I was young I really liked them, right up until my dad made me feel terrible for doing so. I’m pretty sure he was embarrassed by it.

    I didn’t really think or care about this for a long time, until randomly one time at an IKEA I saw a guy in his mid 20s who just chose a stuffed animal, hugging it and smiling. His family was with him, and they were smiling and supportive. When I got back to the car I couldn’t stop crying because the only response I ever got from my family was being yelled at or mocked. I may even have cried while writing this, so perhaps I’m still a tad upset.

    My wife really likes stuffed animals however - and we have a raccoon that comes in the bed sometimes. The raccoon also came to a music festival with me once: