How a Childhood Toy Can Awaken Optimism:
TOYS... There is nothing quite like a child playing with a toy they love. A good toy can ignite the imagination and keep a child busy for hours. For me, it was my childhood dollhouse. You see, my folks worked hard to give us a comfortable life. We had everything we needed, but we didn’t grow up with a lot of “extras.” Those coveted trendy toys like “Power Wheels” or “American Girl Dolls” were outside of our budget. But there was one Christmas morning I woke up and felt like I hit the toy “jackpot.”
I was five years old and I just loved playing with my dolls. My folks and my Nana conspired to make me something really special for Christmas . . . a handmade dollhouse! For months they would put my brother and I to bed then work downstairs on this project, like elves in Santa’s workshop. My father is a carpenter and he built the house and painted it the same colors as our real house. My mum decorated the house with wallpaper swatches from a catalog and free carpet samples. My dad made little dollhouse furniture out of reject wood scraps from the woodturning mill in our town. And my Nana put all of the finishing touches on the house by sewing the bedding & the other linens. They later told me how much fun they had putting this dollhouse together.
When I woke up that Christmas morning I was overwhelmed with joy. To this day, this is my “dream house.” It was made with so much love by the people I love. It was a toy that kept me entertained for hours upon hours and made me believe in magical possibilities.
Christmas Morning with my handmade dollhouse!