When I was a young girl most of my family called me Barbie. In fact one of my sisters and a handful of very close friends still call me that. For some reasons, my mom called me Barbies. She usually told her friends that I was her "Barbies Doll". I know Barbie with an s. I was born in the same year that the Barbie dolls hit the market. I still have the occasional person that thinks they are funny and original call me Barbie doll. You would think that given my name and the timing of the release of this popular doll, I would have had several growing up. The truth is I was given a cheaper knock off version of the Barbie dolls, I had a Vivian doll. At the time I did not think too much of this, but as I got older it does seem strange that my parents would not have bought me a doll that had the same name as me.
The real craze and popularity with the Barbie dolls happened when I was about 13 years old, so I was a bit old to be dressing and playing with my name sake. When I babysat neighbor children when I was 13 to 17 years old they had several of the Barbie dolls. It was fun to put the small shoes and clothing on the dolls. The children would always ask me how many Barbie dolls I had and I would answer that I had a Vivian doll, which none of them had ever heard of.
I have now been married for 21 years. About five years ago my sister-in-laws and I got on the subject of Barbies doll. I mentioned that I never owned one as a child, but had a cheaper version. My sister in-laws could not believe that I had not been given one as a child. That year for Christmas there was an extra present under the Christmas tree for me from Santa Claus. In the package were two Barbie dolls and several outfits. My sister in-laws thought that I should own the doll that I shared my name with.
On the way home from our
Christmas gathering I told my husband that the day had reminded me of past celebrations because this time I was completely surprised by a gift. I also admitted to another person for the first time in my life that I had always wanted a Barbie doll and that I had felt disappointed on many Christmases when I had not received one. It is amazing how the simple gesture on the part of my sister-in-laws had helped heal a hurt that I had been carrying for over 40 years.
