The Story of Guppy
Hello, My name is Guppy and I am a stuffed panda. My best friend in the whole entire world is a little girl named Hyra and I love her so much. She is three years old and we have been together ever since she was a baby. We do everything together; we eat together and take naps together and one time we took a bath together, but since I’m a stuffed animal it didn’t work out too good for me and Hyra’s mommy had to put me in the dryer which made me very very dizzy and hot. I go to all of her doctor’s appointments with her and I was with her when she took her first step.
A couple of weeks ago we went on vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and we had so much fun until one day when the most awful thing that could ever happen happened. We went to IHOP. Well, going to IHOP wasn’t awful, but what happened there was. When Hyra and her mommy and daddy were finished eating, they got up to leave and they forgot me. I had fallen onto the floor (which was a little bit sticky with syrup) and they forgot all about me.
“Wait!” I was saying. “What about me? Please don’t leave me here! I’m under the table!” I was saying it as loud as I could, but the only person who can ever hear me is Hyra and I guess she was just too excited about going to the beach to hear me. I heard their car drive away and there I was, laying in a puddle of syrup, crying because I thought I would never see my best friend again.
A few minutes later, a nice waitress named Debi Jean found me and picked me up. She ran outside to see if she could find my family, but they were already gone. How could Hyra forget about me? And how was she going to be able to sleep tonight without me being there to protect her from the monster in the closet and the one under the bed? And how was I going to sleep without her being there to cuddle with me and keep me warm? I started to cry as I thought about Hyra being all alone.
“Well, shoot,” said Debi Jean. “I can tell that this little panda bear is well loved and someone is going to miss him dearly.”
And then she got an idea. She set me on the table and pulled her phone out of her apron. “Smile,” she told me. “I’m gonna take your picture.” I tried to smile but it was too hard because my heart was breaking. She carried me back to her locker to set me down and said, “Don’t you worry, little panda. I have a plan.”
That night, Debi Jean put my picture on her Facebook page; “Please share this photo so we can find its owner. All we know is she is 4 yrs old, from NC, and it was left at the Myrtle Beach IHOP while they were on vacation last week.”
Then Debi Jean had another idea. “I’m gonna ask Bitchy Waiter to share it on his Facebook page. He has thousands and thousands of people on his page and maybe if he shares it, I can find the owner of this little panda bear.” So she sent it to him and even he calls himself Bitchy, he shared Debi Jean’s picture of me and he asked people to share it too. Well, suddenly it was hared over 6,000 times! Surely any day now, someone would see my picture and realize that I belong to Hyra. Debi Jean had a box all ready to mail me back home as soon as she got an address. I was a little bit scared to go into the box, but if it meant I would be back with Hyra, I was willing to do it.
And then one day, Debi Jean got a message from Hyra’s parents and they had seen the photo! They told her that Hyra had been heartbroken without me but now I was going to get to go back home! Debi Jean gave me a hug and put me inside the box. I thought I was going to be scared of the dark but all I had to do was think of Hyra’s smile and it made me not scared anymore. It only took a couple of days to get home and the next thing I knew, the box was opened and I saw Hyra’s mommy smiling at me.
“Hyra, come here. I’ve got a surprise for you!” she said.
I hear her footsteps coming towards me and then I saw my little girl run into the kitchen. I know it had only been a couple of weeks, but it looked like she had grown at least a few inches. She ran over to me and gave me the biggest hug I have ever had in my whole life. I hugged her back and whispered in her ear, “I don’t ever want to be away from you again. I love you and you are my best friend!”
Hyra carried me back to her room and I know that she will never leave me behind again. Thank you to Debi Jean at IHOP, The Bitchy Waiter (who must not really be that bitchy) and to everyone else who helped me get back home to my little girl, Hyra. We will live happily ever after.
I hope IHOP knows what a great person Debi Jean is. Maybe if you all went to their Facebook page and shared this story, they will know!
Best friends forever.
Kelley
I bet when Hyra grows up she will be sure to tip her waiter!
Jessie
Ok I teared up… Ya jerk haha
cariad
I have a stuff rabbit named boo bunny that is literally the first present I ever got,my dad bought him the day he and my mom found out they were having a girl and boo bunny went everywhere with me as a child. My dad passed away when I was twelve and that year my mom took me and my brother on my dad’s vacation he always wanted to take us on touring Tennessee and boo bunny got lost at the hotel in Chattanooga. I cried for days my mom had to call all of the places we stayed and offer a $100 reward and some one finally found him =) I still have him too I don’t sleep with him anymore but he has a special place in my room.
Hippie's Chick
When my son was 4 he lost his Tweety Bird at the mall. He was very upset about it and said to me “I’m worried about Tweety”. I told him we would find him. I called all the places we were that day and finally called the Gap. The sales clerk said “oh, we just threw him out” UGH! So he dumpster dived for me and we got Tweety back. Scary moment for a 4 year olds mother. I’m so glad Hyra got her best friend back. I love a good story and a happy ending.
Hyra's Mommy
Bitchy waiter, thank you for using your social media for such a selfless, and kind deed! You’re amazing for just simply sharing a post, and this story from “guppy’s adventure” is just the icing on the cake! As for Debi Jean, well, she deserves a million more thanks for caring enough to go out of her way, for loving guppy when Hyra wasn’t able to. You’re by far, junior, the greatest waitress there will ever be! Such a kind heart, with a positive attitude! Also, when I discovered the post on bitchy waisters fb,I was honestly scared to death to see what others were commenting under the lost panda story (social media can be so cruel), but to my surprise, everyone was sharing stories of their best stuffed friends, or those of their children’s. They were genuinely sad for this mysterious toddler and the fact that this panda wasn’t with his little person, and they shared this post world wide! I am blown away! Thank you to all who shared, cared, and stopped to help. I think we all need to live for the more simple things in life, just look at what can happen with a stuffed panda when we all act selflessly and work together!
Kristi
Guppys little girl is my grand daughter and I want to say a big heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in getting him back to her, she was totally lost without him. And to Debi Jean, this just goes to show that there are special people still left in this world who would go out of their way to get a stuffed animal back to a little 3 year old stranger. Once again thank everyone so very much.
Alisha
The little girl Hyra is my niece, and Guppy is definitely her best friend! I want to personally thank each and every one of you who shared the post! And an enormous thank you to Debi Jean and Bitchy Waiter! Getting Guppy back home was the best thing I could wish for my niece. We all pretty much figured he was gone for good, but thanks to all the kind hearted people who shared the post, they are reunited! So again, we all thank you!
Also, Debi Jean, (the waitress who found guppy) was so sweet to take Guppy shopping. She bought him a new bed to ship home in, and some new clothes! Which was totally awesome!!
Former Waiter
I did not know stuffed pandas can talk and write blog post. Debi Jean is my hero.
Yarrgh
I’m 30 and my stuffed bear from as far back as I can remember (Big Bear) is still at my parent’s house. Even til today, when I can’t make it home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, they put him at the table in my spot. He can just barely (no pun intended!) see over the table, but he’s polite and gives great hugs.
I would’ve been inconsolable if he were to have gone missing. I’d like to think that’s not the case anymore…
Thank you for helping that little bear find his little girl. =)
Erin
Asshole. You made me cry.
The Bitchy Waiter
Bwwahahaha!
anon
How wonderful! My daughter is now 13, but she had a little froggy, and would have been devastated at that age if he were ever lost. She still has him in her room, I think he will go to college with her. Anyway, how great to help them get back to each other. 🙂