It was on March 9, 1959 that Barbie was introduced. By the time I was a young girl, Barbie dolls had become the prevailing toy for girls – but I never had one. They just never interested me. Perhaps that is why I was caught off guard by my daughter’s love for all things Barbie when she was young.
I still was was unclear about the draw to Barbie and I must confess, didn’t even know how you were really supposed to play with them. I will never forget 5 y/o Hannah coaching me:
Hannah: “Hello, where are you going?” Whispering, “Mom, you say you’re going to the ball.”
Me: “Hi, I’m going to the ball.”
Hannah: Whispering again, “Now ask me if I want to go.”
Me: “Do you want to go?”
And so on…
I wasn’t great at intuitively playing Barbie, but I have to tell you I became the Mom of the Barbie kingdom. We had the Barbie Townhouse, Convertible, and my favorite – the Barbie Airplane. I had tackle boxes to keep all the Barbie accessories (which are tiny and easy to lose) organized. I made sure that it was easy to find the matching pair of pink shoes for her ballgown. I made sure Barbie had plenty of outfits for her busy and successful life. I loved Barbie. Actually, that’s not quite true. I still didn’t really get Barbie – but I loved my daughter’s love for Barbie.
I came to love something I didn’t really understand, fully appreciate, or even enjoy. When you love someone – that is what happens.
It dawned on me that instead of people fighting on the issues, that we should learn to love and care for one another. Because when you love someone, you tend to become a lot more open to things that are important to them. And just to be honest, even if we don’t get to a place of agreeing on the issues, at least we will be caring for one another.
I never did get the hang of playing Barbie with Hannah, but because I tried – it definitely brought us closer together.
Thanks, Barbie!
