Written by Pati Carlos
I never knew how wondrous life could be until I invested in my first Squishmallow. I never underestimated the value the Squish could bring to my life, but I also could have never imagined the utter joy and love they would bring me. One may look at a stuffed animal and think they serve the sole purpose of being cute and cuddly. Others argue they are for children and that a twenty-one year old has no business having a bed filled with them.
I beg to differ.
Plush, fluffy, colorful. They are round (but can vary in shape) and come in a vast array of colors, sizes, animals, objects, and textures. There are dragon squishies, avocado squishies, bumblebee squishies, cupcake squishies, Yoda squishies, cow squishies— whatever you can think of, they probably have. The options are endless. They have a Boba Drink Squishmallow (mine is a light pink cup filled with Boba tea and strawberries), and it gets me through the day.
And that’s the beauty of it. It’s universal. If you don’t think a squishy penguin holding a piece of sushi would bring value to your life, (yes, this squishy exists, I have it) then you can get an alligator or mushroom Squishmallow. Maybe you have an interest in fruit or bats— they have those, too.
My point is, you can cater your squishies to your interests. And the fun part is choosing the colors you like, sticking to a color scheme for your plushies, (if that is your cup of tea) or simply being able to rest your head on a cushion that feels like it was made for you. Not only can I stare at my sweet babies and use them to make any space cuter, but I can cuddle them, use them to support my neck when watching a movie, throw them at my friends, give them a big hug, and make any seat comfortable. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, my life has improved immensely since I started collecting squishies.
I’ve never been one to collect anything, really. Besides hoarding clothes and shoes, I rarely would keep too much of anything. But these squishies…they brought something out in me. When I bought my first one, (a sky blue dinosaur with a gracious smile) my love for the ultra-soft spandex and polyester filled creatures blossomed. I told myself, “I am going to start collecting these,” and I thought I was joking when I said it…but 31 squishies later, I definitely was not joking.
I am not saying it’s right to obsess over polyester fiber, but I am saying it’s okay to indulge in something that doesn’t hurt you (but maybe your pockets) and helps make your day a smidge better. When I go to sleep at night, I never regret buying the squishy my shoulder leans on or my cheek rests on.