There seems to always come that time in life when the innocence of youth goes by the wayside. For some it is an easy, natural transition and others not so much. (I still remember finding out that Santa was a myth -totally devastated).
The time at which we lose that innocence varies. It depends upon the people that surround us, influence us and the age that we are exposed to the big, bad world.
Because of that it is with great surprise and sometimes sadness when I witness this in a mature more worldly adult. (O.K. occasionally it is with humor)
Way back a few years my Rennie and I were sitting out on the deck talking about the clouds. He mentions that we needed Pooh to make the clouds go away. I sat there puzzled wondering where that was going when there, out of the not so clear blue sky he begins to sing a song about Christopher Robin. Now I consider myself a reader and I thought I knew Pooh but this was new to me. 
It’s a really sweet song and so we talked a while and I discovered how special Pooh can be. Fast forward a few more years. Rennie loses his mom unexpectedly. He seemed unconsolable. There really wasn’t anything to say at a time like that but I remembered our conversation. So, I went out and found Pooh. A little stuffed bear that would come to represent everything good and innocent and healing.
Pooh has become our mascot and has traveled everywhere with us over the years. (And I mean everywhere!-stay tuned and check out my Facebook page next month).https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090324317566
Pooh represents innocence. And who could believe that my cynical, overeducated, right wing Renaissance man would still hold onto that little part of his.
He was NOT amused when after a wild weekend at the beach with friends Pooh appears hungover and cuddling up to the femme fatale, Boo kitty.
And after all this time Pooh got older with us and celebrated his 21st birthday with a shot. (still not amused and lots of eyerolls)
But the straw that broke the camels’ back, the unforgivable sin was when Disney lost the exclusivity to everything Pooh and someone created a horror movie.
[A.A. Milne’s U.S. copyright in the Winnie-the-Pooh character expired at the end of 2021, as it had been 95 years since publication of the first story. The character has thus entered the public domain in the United States and Disney no longer holds exclusive rights there. Independent filmmaker Rhys Frake-Wakefield capitalized on this shortly thereafter by producing a horror film titled Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.] –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh
Pooh and his sweet naive innocence had first come onto the scene as Edward the bear in 1924 and evolved as Pooh in 1926. He has endured, comforted and entertained for nearly 100 years. Timeless.
When the movie came out my Pooh-loving, innocent Rennie was outraged. I still recall his ranting text in the middle of the day- “Forget the increase in murders and fentanyl deaths. Disregard the millions of illegal aliens coming across the border. Inflation rate and cost of living are not that important anymore. HONEY AND BLOOD-new movie about Pooh and Piglet upset at Christopher Robin and going on rampage in the hundred acre woods and molesting women and”– well you get the picture.
It was a sad day indeed as that preservation of innocence received that fatal blow. (Apparently not everyone feels this way. The movie was released in February and according to Rotten Tomatoes has already grossed $4.6 million)- but WE are not 2 of them.
In 2001 we saw a nation lose their innocence with the attack of 9/11 and in 2020 we saw an entire universe lose theirs with the Covid pandemic. Regardless of the catalyst or the age it can be devastating.
And in his small world he almost lost his.
We will continue to rely on Pooh for healing and keeping the clouds away. 
Because I guess to some, there are things that are just sacred. Like baseball, Bud light and Pooh.
Sassaleeyours…