She Brings Me Joy

I was obsessed with Barbie from my earliest memory.  The one I got for my 8th birthday was my favorite.  I still have her and will have her until my dying day.  She was my best friend when moving around a lot.

I never got rid of my Barbies.  I had them displayed all over my bedroom right up until I got married.

Even after marriage, they were still a part of my life.  The first Holiday Barbie came out in 1988.  I got married in 1989.  My husband got me one every year while we were together.

At some point, I outgrew them.  I think I actually resented them a little, but I haven’t quit figured that out, just yet.  I’ll write more about that, later.

I had all of the Holiday Barbies stored in a trunk in the garage.  I recently decided that it was time to get rid of them.  I displayed them in an album on Facebook, and let my sister, my cousin, and my best friend choose a couple for the little girls in their lives.  It made me so happy to know they were bringing the kind of joy to those little girls that they once brought me.

Laura, my Spirit Daughter, shared this video on Facebook, today, along with the words, “I LOVE BARBIE AND HER FRIENDS. WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW, DAMN IT.”

It had never occurred to me that she might be interested in any of my dolls.  I realized that I still had the one that came out the year she was born!

I sent her a text, immediately, asking her if she really loved Barbie.

She wrote back that she did.

I asked her if she had this one.

She said that she did not.

I told her it came out the year she was born and it was hers if she wanted it.

She protested, thinking it was worth so much money.  I told her that it isn’t but even if it was, she’s my daughter, and I always dreamed of giving my Barbies to my daughter.

She wrote back, “😭😭 mama.  You’re so sweet!”
I thought that the days of finding joy in Barbie dolls was past, but today, they warmed the cockles of my heart (what ever cockles are).

𝕴 𝖆𝖒 𝖇𝖑𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖉!