Earlier this year I was out running some errands. As I drove by The Salvation Army Thrift Store here in Dayton, my heart led me to stop and go into the store.

Once inside the store I heard a faint cry coming from the bottom of a box filled with stuffed animals.

I dug down into the box and there was a teddy bear. Through his tears he asked me if I was there to adopt him.

I told him yes. He stopped crying and began to smile.

Once we were in the car I popped in my CD of MOAM.

The teddy bear began to cry. I asked him why he was crying. He told me that the voice on the CD was so beautiful that all he could do was cry. I told the teddy bear that the person who was singing is named Clay Aiken.

Once we got home, I cleaned up the teddy bear and sat him on my lap and proceeded to let him view some “Clack.”

The teddy bear was so amazed at Clay’s performances that he asked me to please name him “Claybear.” I did.

When I made the decision to go to New York to see Clay on Good Morning America this past July, Claybear asked if he could accompany me because he wanted to see Clay in person.

I could not say no.

Claybear was the hit of the GMA Campout. He met so many wonderful people. He even went to the Good Morning America Studio’s. Claybear was very impressed with meeting Diane Sawyer and Tony Perkins the gentleman who does the weather on Good Morning America.

The Jukebox Tour:

When it was time to hit the road for the Jukebox Tour, Claybear was right there with me. He was so happy to be going from one venue to another.

When Claybear found out that I would be attending a Meet and Greet in Toledo, OH, I believe that he was more excited than I was.

He asked me if I would take him to the meet and greet. There was no way that I could say no.

At the meet and greet when Clay stated that he wanted to take a second picture, I immediately grabbed Claybear so that he could be in the picture as well.

When the meet and greet was over, Claybear could hardly stop crying. He told me that other than the day that I rescued him from the bottom of that box at the Salvation Army he had never been so happy.

These days Claybear spends his time humming songs from Clay's first Cd titled "Measure of a Man", Clay's Christmas CD, 'Merry Christmas with Love", and watching the new “Clack” from the Joyful Noise Tour 2005.

One very happy bear....oh and I was pretty happy as well.