Farewell To An Old Friend

I recently learned that a childhood cherished doll of mine will no longer be for sale through the American Girl company. Samantha will be discontinued. Sure, most of my childhood toys that I loved and cherished are no longer for sale in the retail stores. The Wuzzles, Gem, and Gummi Bears are all a distant memory of my past. I acknowledge that and accept that. I guess its hard to see it when you are an adult seeing a piece of your childhood being discontinued.

Samantha was the last doll I cherished when I was still in the doll playing stage. I believe I also received her in the last Christmas when I thought Santa Claus was real and Christmas was magical (it still is magical to me just in a different way). She was an expensive doll for the 80's, but my Mom (aka Santa) knew it was something I really wanted. One of the best parts about this doll, is that she looked like me. She was complete with long brown hair, bangs and big brown eyes. I even loved the name she was given and at that time I was going to name my little girl, Samantha when I grew up and had children.

Samantha and I were buds. I pretended I was her Mommy and she my little girl. I spent hours dressing her up in her early 1900's clothing. I remember what a hassle it was to stuff her in her stockings. I remember being sympathetic, because I would occasionally be stuffed into stockings too. I used to do her hair all the time into her trademark half pony tail. I would want my hair done like that to and even to this day (not that my Mom does my hair), if I asked my Mom to give me a Samantha hair do, she would know exactly what I was talking about. I even had my Mom buy me a dress just like Samantha's so we could dress alike. 1900's or not, I was going to look just like her. I even had professional protraits taken in that dress with Samantha by my side. She was my favorite toy until I reached the boring, non-toy playing preteen stage.

I wanted to write a special blog about her, because she was special to me. She was there at the end of my childhood and for that she has a special piece of my heart. I ache knowing that future little girls will not dote on the same doll I did. She was a wonderful doll. At least I have my memory of her and at least I still have MY Samantha tucked away on a shelf until I have a little girl or grand daughter to pass her down to. Then she will be cherished once again, as a only a child can cherish a toy, and Samantha will be given the most glorious kind of love, a child's love.