Barbie From the Past Still Brings Joy

This story begins about 30 years ago. My mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I wanted with my whole being a Sweet 16 Barbie. It was the most beautiful doll I had ever seen. My mom reminded me (in shock I am sure that her hot wheel loving daughter requested a doll Much less a Barbie!) that she cost $9 and that was all she had to spend on presents. I assured her that was fine; this doll was all I wanted. A few weeks later on my birthday mom's friends, the Whites, and their children, brought over my cake and we had my birthday party. I got a ten pack of Kmart cars from the Whites and The doll from my mom. I do not remember much else but The doll!

She was perfect in her pink Swiss dot dress; she smelled I was positive as heaven itself would. Barbie went every where with me, but school, she waited patiently for my return each day on the kitchen counter, where she could see me as I rushed in. I had other Barbie stuff, a camper, car and many dolls. I do not remember what they were or where they came from. This was a pivotal day in my life, though I did not know it yet. You see about 6 weeks later my mom, had a massive stroke. She came home from work and she sent me to the kitchen for aspirin when I came back to the living room, she had a limp cigarette dangling from her lips, her hands flung out and her head back. I walked closer and saw her eyes were rolled back in her head. I ran screaming from the house that my mom was dead. Mrs. White called the police and rushed over. The paramedics came and I heard them say "she was dead about 2 minutes" as they wheeled her past me to the waiting ambulance. So it was that Sweet 16 and I moved in with the Whites for a few weeks. Though much of this time is blocked out of my memory, I do remember teaching Tracy and her brother how to brush their teeth and how important it was to do so. My mom was a huge fan of teeth brushing, though with my teeth it seemed of little use, I was always having cavities filled! About 3 weeks later my sister's husband came and got me, some of my clothes, Sweet 16, my raggedy Ann and Andy and my dog, a Chihuahua named Taco and took us off to my sister.

Well fast forward, I am a young woman on my way to California. I stored all my stuff but 1 small suitcase of clothes in my sister's barn. About 1 month after I got settled I was told the barn had been broken into and all my worldly possessions but the small suitcase of clothes were gone. My Sweet 16, my Dawn dolls, the 1800's metal and composition baby doll my father's grandmother had brought over from Germany, all gone. I mourned the loss of my Sweet 16. Though mom's stroke did not kill her, (she died 5 years later) she never recovered and this doll was the last gift she ever gave me. For years this doll has been my "holy grail" I have tried to replace her but generally money always got in my way.

Few people know the whole story, now all of you who read this know the beginning and the end of it. I was talking to a dear friend about Barbies. I told her about the doll, though not as much as I have told here. Well imagine my surprise when I walked out my back door and found a large priority mail box. I opened it to find a large wad of bubble wrap and priority tape. On the tape was stuck a note, "Dear Mel, Birthdays are for rememberin'... I hope this brings you some very happy memories... A very happy birthday to ya!" Inside the wrapping and tape was a never removed from her box Sweet 16 Barbie! She is just as gorgeous as she was over 30 years ago, and I bet if I opened her package she would smell just like heaven. As it is she will remain in her package and on my desk for everyone to see. I love her as much as the first. She brings back the memories and feelings I had that day over 30 years ago when I got the first one, plus the new memories of a dear and caring friend. My poor husband thought I was having some kind of fit. Imagine if you can his surprise to walk into the office and see his wife, holding a box, shaking and crying. He thought something horrid had happened. I could not speak, I just handed him the box, and he looked it over not comprehending, until he read the "offer" on the back... specifically the expiration date..... May 1^st 1975! Then he remembered the doll I had told him about, but he had never before seen much less held one! For most who know me, they know I do not put a huge value on material things so my reaction to this "possession" will be puzzling. This, out of everything I have ever owned is the "thing" I was attached to. Thank you my dear friend, you have given me more than you will ever know and I will never ever be able to repay this gift!