The Quest for the Enchanted Bow and Arrow

The Quest for the Enchanted Bow and Arrow

It started like any other Saturday morning. We were all up early and Owen was ready to play. But right before I was fully awake, it dawned on me that I have not yet gotten the bow and arrow that we promised to get him for his birthday!

This was the beginning as we embarked on our journey to seek for the bow and arrow.

It seemed like an easy task- almost like a no-brainer. If you need a toy, you go to Toy's R Us. Michelle had a Mary Kay Training meeting so we dropped her off and we had 2 hours to kill. Owen and I then headed to the closest Toys R Us. We were excited and eager to get the bow and arrow.

As we drove towards Toys R Us, I started wondering what we were going to do while we waited for Michelle. The Mall is right beside Toys R Us and I decided to go there so Owen can play while we waited. Everything was in order, and all was planned accordingly. As we pulled into the parking lot, a huge sign draped the exterior wall of the store. "STORE CLOSING!" I adjusted my eyes so I can make sure that I am seeing the right thing because there have been a few occasions when my eyes deceived me, so I wanted to make sure. The only way I can make sure I am seeing clearly is by squinting my eyes, therefore, I was looking a lot more Asian than usual! What I read was nothing but a confirmation of what I already saw earlier. "STORE CLOSING." It said....as if taunting me with a big smile....and then saying..."YOU ARE TOO LATE!" The words escaped me....as I got my act together, and a new plan started forming in my mind.

At that moment, the simple task we set out to sail was all of a sudden becoming more like a mission - one that seemed like an adventure, and I was excited for the challenge, and as soon as I told Owen that we needed to work together to find the bow and arrow, he was also excited when I told him that I needed him to guide me. He was my navigator.

We entered the store, and I expected the worst - and my expectations were confirmed as we saw that more than half of the store was emptied out. The chances of finding a bow and arrow were slimmer than I thought, but we persevered! We must have spent a good 30 minutes looking, at times, I entertained the idea that maybe Owen wanted a different toy, but he stayed true to his mission - to get the bow and arrow. After a failed attempt to locate the coveted new toy, I humbled myself and asked a fellow parent if there was another toy store close to our proximity. The kind woman said: "Well, there's Walmart." Usually, Walmart is the first choice to find a toy you want to waste your money on, but we already tried that a few weeks ago and they did not have what we were looking for. So, I failed.........at least for a few moments. As Owen looked at me, he noticed the sadness in my face, so he said: "Maybe we can go to a different store?" My eyes lit up and all of a sudden, a sense of hope started running through my veins, and once again, we were ready to continue with our mission.

I wish I can say that we found the toy right away, but it wasn't until we stopped at Wendy's to get some lunch for Owen when it dawned on me that I think I know where to find it. So, Owen ate his lunch, and I set my heart to finding the bow and arrow. But one thing I learned is that you can't give up!!


And then we found it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Party City had everything! But it still wasn't easy to find the bow and arrow....it was all the way in the back. But after Owen saw it, I knew that it was all worth it. I wish I had a camera to capture that moment when his face showed pure joy. Finally.......a new toy.....the one that took forever to find, but the memory is something I can treasure for a lifetime.

Here are some photos of my Little Warrior