“Sonny Boy” is the last doll that I received for Christmas. I was ten years old
and after that year I wanted other things for Christmas.
I had seen the doll in a store window and told my mother that was the one I
wanted for Christmas that year. She said that she would talk to Santa Claus and
see if he would bring it on Christmas Eve. I remember the excitement as I waited
for Santa to come and bring me the doll.
One day, while working in my parents’ store, I was looking for something under
one of the counters and discovered a strange box. As I looked at the box I knew
that it was the doll that I had wanted. My dad realized what I had found and
said that my mother had bought it for me. I was happy that I was getting the
doll but some of the thrill of waiting was gone. I looked forward to Christmas
with different feelings.
Several years later I found out the entire story about how she got the doll. He
was in a store about 10 miles from where we lived. In order to get the doll for
me, my mother rode with the mail carrier to the other town one morning and
stayed the entire day until she could ride home with the carrier in the evening.
Our family only had one vehicle and my dad needed it so she did not have other
means of transportation. She knew that I wanted the doll and she was determined
to get it for me even if it meant the sacrifice of an entire day for her.
Many happy hours were spent playing with Sonny Boy but as the years passed he
was replaced with other things in my life and he was stored away with my other
childhood things.
Years later while cleaning out the closet at my parents’ home, I found Sonny Boy
along with two of my other dolls in a plastic bag. His cloth body was in need of
repair and his vinyl head, legs, and arms needed to be cleaned. I carried him to
a doll repairer who told me that he was an American Character Doll and would
probably be worth several hundred dollars. I told her he was worth more than
that to me. She cleaned him up and made him a new body but I kept the old
clothes. I bought some material to make him some new ones but decided that I
would keep the ones that had been well used.
One day when our granddaughter was visiting she came walking in the den with
Sonny Boy under her arm. Since her mother knew he was an old doll, she told
Emily to put him back in the bedroom. I told her it was okay to let Emily play
with him. Even though I knew he was just a doll, it seemed that the smile on his
face was brighter. He had another little girl to play with him and give him love
and I was glad that he was still giving happiness to a child.
As I think of Christmas and look at Sonny Boy I think of the love that was
given. Even though there were bad times with my mother, I look at Sonny Boy and
remember that love. He reminds me that love will overcome the bad things that
happen in our lives and we can find joy in the good.
As we remember Christmas, let us remember the love that was given and is still
given to us each day. Let us realize that we can find joy in our lives if we
will only look for it.
Laura Young copyright 2003
Lyoung7990@aol.com
I am a retired high school secretary. My husband and I enjoy traveling and
visiting family and friends. I have started working on my family history and
this year and have been able to reconnect with some of my family. I have had
several stories on 2 The Heart: The Hill, The Litter Lady, Mother's Day and A
Christmas Story.
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