Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Pike.
Hi Carrie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
“What am I going to do with your dad’s clothes?”
I was standing with my mom in my dad’s closet. We had left Dad’s things alone for a while after his death, but now Mom was facing a very real dilemma, one that I’ve found is almost universal. What do you do with the things a loved one leave behind? Clothes in particular are often too personal to either wear or get rid of. What do you do with the sweater Grandma always wore? Or the sleeper Baby was wearing when you brought him home from the hospital?
Standing with my Mom in Dad’s closet, I had an idea. “I think I want to make bears out of some of these clothes, Mom. Is that okay?” My mom, still grieving in her recent widowhood, threw me a skeptical look. “How?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” I looked at the red golf shirt Dad had worn until it was threadbare across the belly, at the Boy Scout shirt that had hiked with Dad and my brother on countless campouts. In the blue work pants and shirts that had served as his uniform for the decades, he’d worked as an electrician. There is something so intimate about a person’s clothes.
These ones carried so many memories, and they still smelled like my dad. “I really think I can do this,” I told my mom. “Let me take this one and this one and this one.” I started gathering my favorites.
I am the second-youngest of six children. We were not a wealthy family. Growing up, we made some of our clothes. With five girls in the family, this included our own prom dresses. We would go to the store and look at different styles and then go to the fabric store and figure out how to make just what we wanted. Back then, it was a matter of economy. How I would have loved to go buy Izod shirts and designer jeans like my friends.
My mom taught me to sew at age eight. I was not thrilled and would often become frustrated. She was so patient! While my parents couldn’t provide me with the store-bought wardrobe I craved, Mom provided me with something more valuable. Teaching me how to sew was a gift that was both free and priceless.
As I cradled Dad’s old clothes in my arms, I remembered a pattern for stuffed bears I had made to sell at a Christmas boutique. I knew I could adapt it to make precious bears honor my dad. I got to work.
A few months later, our family all went camping on the anniversary of Dad’s death. I brought along a custom teddy bear made from Dad’s clothes for each sibling. The one made from the Boy Scout uniform went to my scouter brother. I’d sewed one from a stretchy knit shirt for my sister. As it turned out, she had given him that shirt, which made it that much more special and personal for her.
I thought it was serendipity at the time. However, the twenty years since have included enough similar “coincidences” to convince me that they are actually tender mercies from a loving God.
Back to 1998. That fall, I was pregnant with our third son. With twin four-year-olds already at home, I was desperate to find a way to cut back on my hours at work so I could be home with our kids. My husband, Steve, was supportive, but we were going to have to find a way to replace at least part of my income. I prayed for a way to make that happen.
In the meantime, I had grown so large with my pregnancy that I couldn’t paint my own toenails. I decided to go see a friend for a pedicure. I explained my situation to my friend as she painted my toes. She encouraged me to pursue making teddy bears and gave me the name of a woman at Caring Connections, a grief support group.
Almost before I knew it, I had a business creating custom teddy bears for bereaved families, and Carrie Bears was born. Twenty-plus years and thousands of bears later, I have been privileged to share in the grief and healing of hundreds of parents, children, husbands, wives, and loved ones. In the beginning, most of these people were friends of friends.
They would bring over letterman jackets and receive blankets and polo shirts and bathrobes. I would invite them in, and as they entrusted me with treasured keepsakes of their loved ones, they also entrusted me with their stories. Handing me these items that still carried the essence of their family members opened my new friends’ hearts, and the words simply flowed.
Packages of beloved articles of clothing have trickled in from all across the country. It has been amazing to receive the phone calls, emails, and written stories of those who have passed on. I have been honored that Carrie Bears have filled empty arms in places across the sea as well in Australia, Brazil, England, and neighboring Canada.
At first, I found myself internalizing the stories. I remember telling a young mom who just lost her son, to a bike accident, that I let my boys ride their bikes all the time and down our busy street. I felt my heart panic. Then she put her hand on my arm and said, “You have to let them live.” Those words went straight to my soul–and changed the way I was thinking. I am forever grateful for that advice.
Carrie Bears is my journey and my path. I am so grateful for this opportunity to help comfort families. I testify of the redemptive nature of both love and loss. It has become as tangible to me as any Boy Scout shirt or teddy bear. I am incredibly blessed by the connections I have made through creating bears to fill the empty arms.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been lots of tears and tired moments but the honor of creating something to hold onto has blessed my life beyond measure. I wouldn’t trade the sleepless nights and aching heart for anything. It has made me who I am today.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If you have an idea or passion for something and feel guided to pursue it… just do it!
The obstacles that you have in your mind or on your path will somehow move out of your way when you are doing what you are supposed to do. I absolutely have seen that in my own journey.
It has been incredible to look back at all the little and big miracles along the way.
Contact Info:
- Email: carriebears99@gmail.com
- Website: Carriebears.com
- Instagram: @carriebears99
- Facebook: Carrie Bears
- Other:
