A Magical Connection

I moved to Alberta nearly a decade ago for school, with no intention of staying here. However, I met my husband and am happily settled down in Calgary. All of my immediate family is back in Newfoundland, and this has been tough on many occasions. Most recently, the distance was particularly highlighted when my first nephew was born in May. 

Since we wouldn’t be around a lot as he grew up, my husband and I began to brainstorm ways to make sure that we got to be connected with him. I had previously come across “Cuddle & Kind,” a family company that makes gorgeous hand-knit dolls that help to feed children in need. When you buy a doll, they provide ten meals to a child in need. I immediately loved the idea of a gift that gave back others, not to mention that the dolls are all incredibly adorable. We made the nearly impossible decision to choose “Elliott the Fawn.” We decided that we would buy two dolls, one that would be given to our nephew when he was born and kept. 

Knowing we have a child’s suspension of disbelief on our side, we sent a letter along with Elliott when our nephew was born, explaining that he had been sent to him from his Aunt and Uncle and that he holds magical abilities. The letter said that Elliott would sometimes travel the world with his magic and report back on his adventures without our nephew ever knowing. Even though he is yet too young to understand the mail we have been sending, we’ve started Elliott on these adventures so that when our nephew is old enough to begin to engage with this magic himself, there will be a couple of years of evidence.

Elliott has been a fun project for my husband and me. We love that we are creating a unique experience for our nephew and can show how much we are thinking of him in such a magical way. Given that COVID hit just a couple of months before he was born, we have not yet been able to travel home to meet him. The circumstances have made Elliott even more special, as we face an unknown waiting period before we get the opportunity to meet our nephew in person. With only a couple of letters completed so far, I am eager to continue this tradition, a unique way of connecting with him from a distance.

P.S. Please consider this a plug for Cuddle + Kind. Their company is based on such outstanding values; in addition to the meals provided to children in need, they employ female Peruvian Artisans and provide them with fair-trade, sustainable incomes.

October 24, 2020