My Dolls and I: A Tryst Down the Memory Lane

I still remember that day vividly. It’s as if the sands of time haven’t erased it from my memory. It was my 7th birthday. I was so happy. That morning, Mom woke me up with the birthday song. I woke up with a start and hugged her tightly. That day, she didn't have to force me out of bed. She didn’t have to nag me so I go for a bath and get ready on time. I did everything on my own. I took no time getting ready. I put on my birthday dress and came out to show Mom how pretty it looked on me. The moment Mom looked at me, she said, “Oh! My daughter looks so beautiful, just like a dolls . This beautiful birthday girl should get a gift that is as beautiful as her.” As she said this, she took a huge package out of the cupboard. My 7-year old brain went into overdrive. I felt the gift through the wrapper and found out that it was a doll.

I was ecstatic. I didn’t bother to open the gift wrapper neatly. I just tore it open. Inside, there was a stuffed doll that was at least half my height. I was overwhelmed by the mere size of it. It was so soft; I wanted to hug it all day long. I named it Lovely. Lovely was tall, fair, had brown hair and wore a pretty blue dress which had bright pink flowers on it. Her hair was tied in a ponytail with a pink ribbon. I fell in love with her in no time.

That day, I told all my friends about Lovely. All of them wanted to meet her. I told them that they could meet her at my birthday party. The same evening, all my friends had come home. They had got me several gifts. I couldn’t contain my excitement so I opened the gifts then and there. I was surprised to see that I had got two more dolls, both were Barbies. One other friend had given me Barbie dolls toy sets. There were doll toys like kitchen sets, dressing rooms, bathroom - all meant for my Barbie dolls.

That was my best birthday ever. I wish I could spin the wheel of time backwards and go back to that day. Well, that’s not possible. But what’s possible is I can find joy in buying dolls and doll toys for my daughter. Watching her play with those dolls will help me relive my childhood days.

And now that online stores have so many different brands of dolls toys , I can shop right from the comfort of my house. I don’t have to spend my weekend at those crowded malls. Online shopping will save my time and effort.