Tup

My daughter Olivia has an imaginary friend. His name is Tup. He has been her imaginary friend for years, and the whole family has grown to like him quite a bit.

I have always thought it would be fun to write a story about Tup, so I started one awhile ago. I didn't get very far into the story because I realized that it was very possible that at the end of my story, Tup would no longer be needed and would 'disappear'. I don't like sad endings, but couldn't figure out how to make it anything but a cliched end...

Tup will now probably be the only imaginary friend on the planet whose creator (Olivia) is kept alive forever because of his creator's mother (me).

Every November 23rd (Tup's "birthday") I will probably remind Olivia about her friend Tup and how we used to make "Tup-cakes" to celebrate his happy day. (true story)

Sad how I like her friend so much. Can't decide yet if it is creepy-sad, or just get-a-life sad...

Anyway..

Here is part of the story I wrote about Tup. It isn't long at all, and ends short, but now you can know more about him and maybe hope he doesn't 'disappear' someday too. :)

TUP

In the way back corner of the mind of a child, something sparkled. It grew and took shape. It changed, it laughed, it danced. It came to be.

The life of an imaginary friend is not always a long one. Sometimes the life is fleeting. A life that is there for only a matter of days, until the child whose imagination created it moves on to other objects of fascination. Usually objects that have actual physical substance. Objects that can be held and touched, like a teddy bear or a blanket.

And sometimes the life of an imaginary friend, while still not long in terms of human life, will last for a few short years. An invisible being who is allowed to enjoy the ups and downs and all around chaos that rules in the everyday life of a child.

Occasionally an imaginary friend will be lucky enough to be created in the mind of a child who always believes. Always remembers. Those imaginary friends are around the child for a lifetime, from its creation until both the child and the friend pass together from mortality. Bonded together by love and comfort that no one outside their circle really understands.

One such imaginary friend burst into its version of reality in the mind of a small girl named Olivia. Olivia had a very vivid imagination, for which the new friend was happy, and she quickly decided that her friend was a boy named Tup.

In four-year-old Olivia's mind, Tup is the ideal boyfriend. He brings flowers and always says kind things to her. He is there whenever she needs him, and he doesn't mind when she gets distracted and doesn't think about him for awhile. After all, a four-year-old is constantly growing and moving and changing. It is hard work growing up, and sometimes things that are important to them are put aside for a moment until they remember to slow down a little and not forget those who they love.

Tup had no complaints. He knew that Olivia was special and that he was very lucky indeed to have been created in such a child. He felt honored to be classed as a member of the family, and was equally grateful that her parents and siblings encouraged her imagination--even going so far as to making him a real birthday cake on the date that Olivia declared was his birthday.

Tup sat quietly in the corner of Olivia's room and watched as she colored on the bright paper with crayons. He smiled as he watched her draw a picture of herself, ponytails and pink ribbons and a triangle shaped body. A warm fuzzy feeling grew in his heart as he watched her draw him standing next to her. His eyes in her drawing were two very different sizes. He had color and substance in the drawing instead of the vague impressions of his reality.

Olivia suddenly looked up and turned toward him.

"Tup, what color do you want your shirt?"

"What color would look best?" Tup's eyes sparkled with good humor.

"I think today you would look your very best in blue." Olivia turned back to her crayons and started to reach for the cornflower blue. She paused. "No, I think maybe green." She grabbed the dark green from the box and frowned in concentration as she colored the square shape that was his shirt.

"Green is a good choice, Olivia." Tup walked over to stand beside Olivia.

"Thank you Tup." Olivia smiled, but didn't look up from her paper.

After a few more minutes of coloring, Olivia tilted her head and scrutinized her drawing. Her eyes squinted in concentration and then she finally held the drawing up towards Tup and looked at him questioningly.

"I'm done now. Do you like it?"

Tup leaned over her shoulder and looked at the picture. He tilted his head and pretended to study it deeply, his arms crossed and his finger tapping his chin.

"I do believe it is your best work yet, Olivia." He announced, and felt a warm tingle as he was rewarded by her brilliant smile.

"Thank you, Tup." Olivia jumped up and walked out of her room, fully expecting Tup to follow. "I am going to hang this on the fridge so everyone will see."

"That is a very good idea." Tup watched as Olivia stretched up on her tiptoes to reach the poodle shaped magnet she would need to stick her drawing to the fridge.....