Louise Faulkner, Her companion (Portrait 2020)

My 10 year-old finds her companion “Teddy” indispensable as she navigates her way into her tween years. Teddy was gifted to her as a baby and has never left her side. He gives courage when she’s scared, shares her happy experiences and consoles her when she’s sad (she rubs her nose against his ear and is soothed - apparently one ear smells just right, and consequently Teddy’s rarely washed). He takes pride of place in her emergency backpack of favourite stuffed toys, ready to grab in case of robbers, tsunamis or bushfire. Teddy is constant, grey, worn and loved.

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