The Christmas Doll… by JoAnn

💚Most everyone has a favorite toy they remember receiving as a kid for Christmas.  The memory of that beloved toy stays with them throughout their life.  Bringing back loving thoughts of Christmas, Santa Claus, and family. 

🧡My sister and I received a lot of beautiful toys growing up.  Our wonderful mother made sure of it.  She would save money all year long just for our Christmas gifts.  Toys and clothes, we thought Santa brought.  Now an adult, I realize it wasn’t Santa Claus, but a very loving mother!

We only received toys at Christmas in my house.  Only exception being if my sister or I ended up in the hospital sick or having surgery.  I didn’t understand why we couldn’t have toys throughout the year.  But now, I think my mama was onto something.  We ended up truly appreciating every toy we ever received and took excellent care of them.  And the suspense and excitement for Santa’s arrival was off the charts!  

💛No doubt my mother enjoyed this Christmas game as much as we did.  Sometimes, I wonder if she enjoyed it even more.  Mama grew up during the Great Depression.  I remember her sharing a story of how she always wanted a doll for Christmas and never received one.  Every year she would ask, and my grandma would sadly tell her that they could not afford one.  She told us that one year she asked for a doll that only cost a nickel.  Hoping that just maybe, a nickel could be spared.  The answer for a Christmas doll was still no.  

My mama’s sad story fueled her passion for Christmas with my sister and me.  Mama still loved dolls.  Now she had two little girls of her own that she could shower with the most beautiful baby dolls at Christmas time.  And with that came the joys of playing the role of Santa.  A role she took very seriously.  

💙Every year, the Sear’s Christmas Wish Book would arrive.  Mama would proudly hand it over to me and my sister Jeanie.  We would spend hours upon hours dreaming over the toys that book held in its pages.  Mama would often come around while we were studying the catalog and casually ask what we liked.  If it had been a particularly good year financially, Mama would actually tell us to pick out the doll we wanted Santa to bring.  That didn’t happen often, but when it did, the excitement was overwhelming.  Especially on Christmas morning when we would find the exact doll under the tree.  It made us feel a very personal connection to Santa Claus.  I can only imagine the pure joy it gave to Mama.

💜I don’t mean to leave my daddy out of this story.  He enjoyed very much seeing us receive toys.  But Christmas was just Mama’s thing.  I think he knew what she had gone through growing up and how much joy it brought her to play Santa and do all she did for us.  So, daddy let mama take the reins of Santa’s sleigh so to speak.

Do you still remember the special toy you received on Christmas?

Here’s hoping all of you have a glorious holiday season.  Merry Christmas!