Utah toddler befriends Halloween skeleton amid COVID-19 pandemic
It's hard being an only child – especially during a pandemic – which may explain why 2-year-old Theo Brady of Salt Lake City, Utah, recently felt a strange attraction to a Halloween decoration.
"I think he got kind of lonely, and he found this skeleton and was like, 'Oh, this can be my friend,'" said Theo's mother, Abigail Brady.
So to placate her son, Brady agreed to something utterly ridiculous. "Like, I just swallowed all my pride and was like, 'You know, if this makes my son happy, I'm going to do it,'" she said.
Do what, you ask? Take them on a play date – to the beach. Brady was secretly hoping that would be the end of it. But the pair hit it off famously and for the last month, Theo and the skeleton, who they named Benny, have been joined at the hip bone – dining together, dressing up as ghosts and winding down at the end of a hauntingly long day.
Brady said Theo has never rested more at peace. "Yeah, some weird way it's comforting," she said. "He likes to read Benny books, which is so cute, and creepy, but cute."
Creepy but cute is not exactly what most parents want for a baby's first bromance. But the bond is undeniable – no bones about it. Whether they're at the market, or on the playground – if not for lack of an epidermis, you'd swear this skeleton was Theo's brother from another mummy. In fact, at times Benny almost seemed… happy. His humorous – clearly showing. And who wouldn't want this kind of friend for their child?
"He just sees this skeleton as someone that needs love," said Brady.
"Yeah, I think it's fine, unless he starts walking around with a casket," I said.
"Yeah, then that's like, oh my gosh, too far," Brady replied.
But for now, it's nothing to be scared of. In fact, this October especially, I think we could all benefit from a little less fright and a lot more friendly.
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