61 - TWO DOLLS

TWO DOLLS

19 x 12 ⅜ inches

(Aunt Betty, the youngest of Dad’s five siblings, with her doll)

When she was only about three years old, Aunt Betty posed with her doll, Matilda Jane—her most precious cargo. Like most little girls, she loved dolls.

As a child, my attention was usually focused on climbing trees, exploring the farm, and building playhouses or forts. Eventually, I set aside many of my tomboy toys and I became interested in dolls too. Unlike most little girls today, I had only one store-bought doll. Her eyes opened and closed and she wet her diaper when fed from her bottle. The rest of my dolls were created from found objects on the farm.

Grandma Adelle Weitzenkamp would have been pleased with my transition from tomboy to doll mother. As society is becoming more enlightened, gender role assignments are blending and little boys can enjoy dolls or “action figures” also. Acknowledging that we all have both maternal and paternal strengths shows wisdom.

I was blessed that I was able to experience both a paternal and maternal side during my single parenting years.