In celebration of the 100-year Winnie-the-Pooh anniversary, Queen Camilla, a life-long fan of the bear, recently appeared with Winnie‑the‑Pooh memorabilia in NYC during multiple public engagements. She also gifted a replica of Roo to the New York Public Library and visited Ashdown Forest, the real-life inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood.
The queen’s visit jogged several of my own fond Winnie-the-Pooh memories and took me on a long journey down memory lane.
A.A. Milne, an English author, wrote the various children’s stories and poems about the the silly teddy bear (named after his son’s stuffed bear, “Winnipeg”) and his cast of characters including Christopher Robin (named after Milne’s son and Pooh’s human companion), Piglet (Pooh’s best friend), Eeyore (the adorable donkey doubter), Tigger, Kanga, Roo and many others. Their adventures continue to delight both children and adults today.
First memory
My first memory of Winnie-the-Pooh was in pre-school listening to the story, “Winnie the Pooh Gets Stuck at Rabbit’s House,” a classic story. In it, Pooh visits his friend Rabbit and over indulges on his famously favorite honey and condensed milk at lunchtime. When he attempts to leave Rabbit’s house via the entry hole, he becomes stuck. Rabbit is understandably angry, but Pooh’s friends rally for a week trying to keep him entertained until he loses enough weight to exit the hole. The story was later brought to life as an animated children’s film by Disney.
A Baby’s Nursery
When I learned I was pregnant in 1999, my husband and I decided to decorate our nursery using a Winnie-the-Pooh theme. We selected the contemporary Pooh design because we liked the bright vibrant colors. It was so much fun! I borrowed an overhead projector from work, and we traced Pooh and friends’ images from a coloring book that were projected onto the walls. My husband painted the images using acrylic paint. They were adorable, and they stayed on the walls for 13 years! We added Pooh character stuffed animals and a window seat with Pooh themed colored pillows and curtains. Talk about generating happy memories right from the beginning!
Quotes that we love
Winnie-the-Pooh’s stories are filled with inspiring quotes that can captivate any age group. They are filled with wit and wisdom, joy, love, charm and life. Following are some memorable quotes from Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends:
Heartwarming Quotes
“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the Pooh
“How do you spell love?” asked Piglet. “You don’t spell it, you feel it.” – Winnie the Pooh
“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” – Winnie the Pooh
Quotes on Friendship and Adventure
“We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” – Winnie the Pooh
“A hug is always the right size.” – Winnie the Pooh
“The things that make me different are the things that make me, me.” – Winnie the Pooh
Reflections on Life
“Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.” – Winnie the Pooh
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like, ‘What about lunch?’” – Winnie the Pooh
Songs that we love
When I was 6-years-old, my neighborhood bestie, Mike, and I happened upon a song made famous by Pooh’s playmate, Tigger. The song was, “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers” — Tigger’s theme and personal anthem — which was composed and written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, the famous songwriting duo known for their work on many Disney classics.
We jumped up and down the hill on our driveway for an entire afternoon singing this song:
The wonderful thing about tiggers
Is tiggers are wonderful things!
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs!
They’re bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!
But the most wonderful thing about tiggers is
I’m the only one am the only one!
We were really tired after all that excitement, and I am pretty sure our mothers were the biggest fans of Pooh and Tigger that afternoon! I still remember the words after all those years.
Share your favorite Winnie-the-Pooh stories and memories in the comments. Is there a specific character that you identify with?
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