Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sisters and playthings

I've recently spent two nights in my older sister's hospital room, keeping her company and being an extra pair of hands, eyes, and ears for her. She's better, and as she began thanking me for this care, she suddenly began reminiscing about a little china doll I'd bought for her as a birthday present, over fifteen years ago. I was amazed, with all that's happened in the intervening years, that she even remembered it.

The tiny baby doll was only about 3 inches long. I had sewed a little white dress and baby bonnet for it, using the material from an old petticoat of mine. Made all the tiny stitches using only my fingers -- I could never begin to do that today. My thought was to comfort her for the loss at age six of her big soft-bodied baby doll with the china head, arms, and legs. A younger cousin had accidentally broken it. I couldn't afford the cost of a large, modern-day reproduction the size of her lost doll, but this tiny one was within my means.

What a joy it is that in our old age we can still enjoy our playthings, and the memory of long-lost toys, too.

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