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A short little while ago I bought a new bear. After the election stress, I wanted something to cheer me up, and also to commemorate the election.

I picked a panda for a very corny reason. I felt that, with his black and white colors, he symbolized the current polarized feelings very well, during a time in which nuance is lacking and middle ground seems practically nonexistent.

I dressed him up very patriotic, something I’ve never done with any bear before. I know I’m not the only one who hadn’t felt as much joy displaying the flag or patriotic things over the past four years. Someone writing to the opinion column the other day put it very well, saying something to the effect that the flag itself had somehow become politicized, to the point that you were assumed to belong to a specific party if you displayed it too much. I felt the same way, and it made me quite sad.

So now I have my little patriotic bear, and I’ve put up a little flag in my studio as well, with a promise to myself that come what may I’ll continue to display it proudly, because I’m part of America, too.

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Why “Jelly Donut”? Well, believe it or not, there’s a patriotic thing to that as well. When my mom and I arrived to the USA on December 12, 2001 at just a little past 4:00am, one of the first places we went to was Dunkin’ Donuts. It was one of the few places that were open (7-11 and I would soon become fast friends too.) I had never had donuts before! I’ll never forget the smell when we walked in there. Whenever I walk into a Dunkin’ Donuts early in the morning today, those memories come flooding back.

Jelly Donuts are my favorite and one of the first I ever had, too.

So there you go. That’s the story behind my new bear.