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When I went to bed that night I prayed about whether or not I had made the right decision. I wondered if I were just being greedy, but decided it really wasn't about the money. It just didn't feel "right" to me. Trusting that I had gotten the answer I needed, I went to bed.

I woke up relieved that I didn't have to make the long drive alone and got busy working on my own projects. I called my daughter to tell her I was staying home. That's when she asked if I'd do her a favor. "The dog got Chilly and tore him in quite a few places. I was going to take him to the alterations shop because you were going to be gone, but if you're home, do you think you could do fix Chilly before Graham gets out of kindergarten?"

My heart just sank as she described Chilly's condition. "I have plenty of time. No one knows I'm home! Bring Chilly over and I'll see what I can do."

When Graham was about six months old his mother bought him this beanie doll named Chilly. Chilly is the mascot for the Houston Aeros ice hockey team. Chilly has been Graham's constant companion ever since, and only kindergarten has forced them to separate. Chilly is considered a part of our family is special to all of us. He has been to Mexico, Hawaii, Disneyworld, and a variety of places. When Graham's Uncle Spencer got married, Graham even carried Chilly down the aisle with the ringbearer pillow! We have wedding pictures to prove it.

I found thread that was a pretty close match and immediately got to work on his lacerations. Chilly had already lost a few beans, and felt limp in my hands as I worked to restore him. I didn't hurry to complete the job - in fact, I took my time because while I worked, my mind was flooded with memories of silly things we had done with Chilly to entertain Graham and make him laugh. I didn't want this personal slide show of memories to end.

When school was over, my daughter brought the kids over. I had Chilly behind my back, and when I presented him to Graham, his mouth widened to a smile that covered his entire face. His beautiful blue eyes sparkled. "Oh, thank you, Grandma." He threw his arms around me without letting go of Chilly, and that simple gesture expressed the love that a child's words couldn't.

I told Graham he needed to find a box to put Chilly in when he's not being played with. "Do you have one, Grandma?" I told him I thought I had just what he needed, and I retrieved a photo box with a lid from the bookshelf. I quickly made a label that said "Chilly" and stuck it on the end of the box. "You should take this home and put a small towel inside so Chilly will have his own bed. Then, when you go to school, Chilly will be safe from the puppy."

The smile on his face widened. I even heard a little giggle as he said, "Wow. Cool, Grandma. Chilly will have his own bed."

Chilly is probably close to retirement. He's well worn from being constantly held and loved. I'm so glad I had the good sense to stay home so that I could play a part in prolonging his life for a little while longer.

Sometimes it doesn't matter whether you take the road to the right or the one to the left; sometimes you just need to make the journey and other times, you don't need to be on the road at all.

There are things that just feel "right," and others that just don't feel right at all. I've learned that if I rely on those feelings, rather than trying to analyze and do what I think I need to do, more often than not, I can look back and see that I did the right thing.

Graham is five, and one day he will grow up and have children of his own. While he will soon outgrow his need for Chilly, I hope he will never forget the love he had for his constant companion, or the love that sealed those stitches.