Three Dolls

When I was a little girl I always got too much for Christmas. I am truly grateful for the time and attention my mother put into my gifts but Santa always seemed to overdo it just a little. It's funny to think I realized this even when I was a child. My cousins next door would get about the same amount of toys and clothes as I did and there were three of them! My parents were not wealthy, they just felt the way to show love was to give gifts. I respect this as a legitimate "love language", the "giving of gifts" but it wasn't mine and I felt guilty sometimes about all the loot under the tree for just me. I would have traded it all for a little brother. That was not possible. I grew up a single, an only, number one, center of attention, over indulged? maybe, but not spoiled...I never expected my parents to do more or asked for much of anything. I never had to! Santa knew what I liked and he delivered! I think I was a grateful child. (My mother may remember it differently but then she remembers everything differently so I don't rely on her memory at all.)
One particular Christmas when I was about five I got three dolls. I remember the overwhelming fear of not being able to take care of three babies at one time...I obviously had a maternal instinct early on. Dolls were not listed in the same category as other toys, they were not toys at all to me! They required attention and care. I left Woolworth's crying because I had to pick one Santa Mouse and all the other Santa Mice were calling to me to choose them. Okay, I know that sounds like my mental illness was kicking in at an early age but I like to think it was just my tender heart toward dolls of any kind. I also remember vividly the knot in my throat when I walked down the aisle in Roses, at Midway Plaza and discovered a pitiful doll on the shelf called "Little Miss Nobody". Does anyone else remember her? That had to be the dumbest idea anyone in the toy business EVER had. She was dressed in rags, was dirty and had a tear in her eye! I was mortified! My mother was too. I wanted all of those dolls! They obviously needed a mommy! Santa hoped I'd just forget about it...well, I'm still thinking about it and it's been forty-plus years!
I still have a tender heart for dolls. I never let my boys treat their big sisters' dolls in any way but kind, I reminded them on occasion that they would be daddies some day and they needed to practice being loving to dolls. I'm sure there was some eye rolling from time to time and maybe even comments like "Mommy is crazy, she talks to dolls", "Yeah, she thinks they are real". But, you should see those same boys with our little girls and our grandbaby, so sweet! Seth was carrying Lissy around the other day, she was patting his face and saying "I love you lil brother". It's amusing that she calls HIM "little brother" considering he's a giant next to her. CJ calls him "Best Buddy", all three of the girls love their big brothers and the feeling is mutual.
So here we are at Christmas again. I "received" the gift I'm finally getting this year three years ago...I've wondered many times if I could take care of three little girls at one time but the Lord has paved the way and lit the path every step. Our adoption date is Dec 21. My dolls will finally be my daughters.
I'm still getting wonderful gifts that I don't deserve.