The Little Boy, the Giraffe, and the Power Pyramid

A few years ago, a family returned home from a long weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island and discovered, with the cold certainty only a four-year-old can deliver, that Joshie the giraffe had not made it home. Joshie was not simply a stuffed animal. To the child, he was security, ritual, and emotional infrastructure. The father, improvising under pressure, explained that Joshie had decided to extend his vacation at the Ritz-Carlton for a few extra days. The child accepted the explanation with complete seriousness and went to sleep.