How Spinoza Got His Name
as told to Beth by Rachel Owa
Rachel, who has a background in Special Education, is a mother whose sons were elementary school age in the early 1980’s. At that time there was a popular line of toy teddy bears on the market that told children how to be, how to walk, talk, sit. Rachel got mad! Who decided how our children are supposed to be, what they are supposed to say?
Then she had a dream, and she remembered her dream (she never before remembered her dreams).
There was this little brown bear sitting in a circle with children. The children all looked rather sickly and sad. The bear began to sing and tell stories in many different languages, and as he did, the children got brighter and brighter. Their expressions changed from dull and gloomy to bright and happy.
Rachel was still mad about the toy bears that were telling children how to be.
Then she had the dream again, and again. And then, when she was awake, it came to her and she envisioned the whole thing. She went to her friend Shery and told her that they were going to make a new product for children and it was going to be a bear who spoke from the heart.
Shery said, "How are we going to do that? We don’t have anything to work with. How is this going to happen?" Rachel replied, "The material will come to us," and she pointed up.
Shortly thereafter Rachel accompanied her husband on a trip to London. He had business there but she had her own mission – to find the bear she saw in her dream. The wife of another couple, who were also there on business, went with Rachel on her "shopping trip." They visited a store devoted completely to teddy bears. There were hundreds of them, floor after floor! All the way up on the fifth floor she found him. This bear was way up on a high shelf, much higher than her reach. But there was no mistake. This was the bear.
Just then, the bear flew off the shelf and landed at teir feet! Rachel’s friend fainted. When she came to she was confused. "Did that bear roll over and fall off the shelf?" Rachel said yes, even though she was sure the bear had flown. Her friend wondered why she had fainted and Rachel said she must be very hungry and had better go find something to eat. Rachel bought the bear and off they went.
Rachel was determined to find out more about the bear. There was a little tag sewn onto the bottom that said VERA SMALL, KNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON. By subway, bus and taxi Rachel finally found Vera Small. She and her son had a small workshop where they made only two things, an orangutan and the bear that Rachel had found. Rachel told the woman she needed 1,000 of these bears. Vera Small said, "I can’t. I’m too small to make that many." So Rachel asked if she could buy the rights to the bear so she could have them made. Vera Small said, "No, I’m sorry. It’s mine. It came to me in a dream."
Just then the phone rang, Vera answered it and in a moment she began sobbing, deep, grief filled sobs. Rachel could not help herself and went to hold the woman. She asked, "Are you OK? What happened?" The phone call was to tell Vera that her father had just died. Rachel asked if there was anything she needed, if there was any way she could help comfort Vera. Vera said no and composed herself. She turned to Rachel and said, "You can have the bear. Use it for eternity." Rachel left the shop of Vera Small with the bear.
Back home, in Minneapolis, Rachel met her friend Shery for lunch. She was excited to show her the bear she had found in London. Sheri asked what they should name the bear. Rachel, as she customariously does when she is looking for answers, turned her eyes up and to the left and said "I wonder."
Out came "Copernicus." No, too star worldly, thought Rachel. Then, Spinoza came to mind. She said it. "SPINOZA!" Shery lit up. She loved it! Kids would love it! What fun to say. They both liked the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza, so, what better namesake? It was decided. The little bear became Spinoza.
Six months later Spinoza was in production. From dream to product—only six months. The miracles and the healing had begun.
