When Emma posted “it’s a sad day in the Gillis household”, I thought the worst. A death. The dog? I was almost relieved to finish reading the post –

poor Bacca has gone on an adventure in Victoria and despite retracing our steps is nowhere to be found. 😢😢#whereswookie #wheresbacca

– Oh, it’s just a stuffy, I thought, relieved.

But when you’re three years old, there is no such thing as “just a stuffy.”

No. There are friends, beloveds, companions, anchors in the world, and Bacca was just that.

Logan was given Bacca by his grandparents just after he was born – they brought the Wookie with them all the way from Northern Island on their first visit to meet him.

He was carrying Bacca while visiting the goat stampede at Beacon Hill Children’s Farm and then along Government and Douglas Streets. Last known sighting? Sometime between 10:30 and 11:30 am on Monday, May 14th.

With the calendar having barely skipped past May the 4th (a special occasion our library recognizes with due appreciation), Emma and Stu tried to talk their wee man down, answer his questions, soothe his tears, and then, with little hope, Emma turned to Facebook. While the post got a lot of commiseration in Pemberton, it got citizen superheroes activating in Victoria.

Even the blog Victoria Buzz got into the act, spreading the word. 

Emma’s call for help was shared 285 times.

 

There was a sighting!

“Someone just posted they’ve seen Chewie in a bush at Toronto and Government Streets.”

But can you rely on a random Facebook post?

Yes, you can. Emma chased leads like a digital detective on a mission.

And on the ground, people went out searching.

No stuffys left behind.

Well, what do you know, but Chewbacca made his way home.

At some point, we have to have the heavy existential questions with our kids – and guide them into the dark truth that nothing, and no one lasts forever – but if we’re lucky, we can put that off for as long as possible, and it won’t happen until they’ve experienced the magic and mystery of the universe a few times and have a psychological buffer of some faith in a Greater Than or a cosmic awesomeness to lean into when the grief hits.

This is my favourite story today because we all need a reminder that the world is a beautiful place and our kids hearts are in many safe hands, and sometimes all we have to do to realize that is to ask for help.