Toy Story 3

The boys and I went to see Toy Story 3 today. It is a story about a young man going off to college and the toys he is leaving behind. I had been warned to bring tissues, and I did. I thought I was doing pretty well, as the movie was nearly over and I still had some semblance of composure - then the last 10 minutes came. Forget it, I was a blubbering mess, as were both boys. We all continued to cry for the next hour. The boys came home and hugged their favorite teddies tightly, and I went to my bedroom closet and rescued my favorite doll from childhood, Alise, and gave her a big hug as well. That's her in the picture.

My one sister is 10 years older than me. She was a good big sister and played with me a great deal when she had the time, but the reality is that I grew up mostly by myself. There was no one to play with in my neighborhood, and even once I was in school, I can count on one hand the number of times I was allowed to have a friend over or went over someone else's house. Alise was my best friend and really, part of the family. She was originally my sister's doll, and my parents tell the story of how they actually brought her to a department store to buy her shoes (she takes a size 3!). When I was one-and-a-half, my mom put her in the crib with me to keep me company. I ended up pulling out all her eyelashes. From then on, she was my constant companion. Growing up, I dressed her up for Halloween and when I broke my arm when I was 8, she wore a sling, too. Over the years we got her replacement eyelashes, but the hair on top of her head started falling out. My father performed surgery on her countless times, putting in her arms or legs that had fallen out.

I continue to treasure her today. While I obviously don't play with her anymore and she is too fragile to be played with by anyone else, I could never dream of giving her away. She is one of my most treasured possessions and in many ways, still seems real to me. I know she is only an inanimate object, but I'm glad that she was part of my life.