Last month when my parents were here visiting, my mom and I decided it was time to rescue my old doll collection from the cedar chest. These aren’t just any dolls. These dolls were handmade by my mom for me every Christmas when I was a little girl. We both looked forward to introducing them to Lauren, and hoped she would be excited. We must have tipped our hand because she showed no signs of being impressed.
Undeterred, we proceeded to strip and wash them and all their clothing. My mom took such care ironing and mending each dress and pinafore, re-braiding—and in some cases, re-attaching—hair, and re-dressing each one, bloomers, slips and all.
It felt good to be among these old friends again, fresh and clean, ready to start a new phase of life. It also felt good to see my girl sneaking into the chair with them and, when she thought no one was looking, introducing them to her other dolls.
