A Toy Doll Story

So what were a large rabbit doll and some smaller stuffed animals doing sitting outside a New York day care center? Well, let me tell you the story.

There is, perhaps, no greater joy than being a parent. And most parents want so desperately to keep their children in the nest--even as time flies by too quickly. Inevitably, children become teenagers. For many parents that means changing roles from "best bud" to ATM machine.

During our daughter's early childhood we collected dozens of dolls. Some were gifts from friends, others we purchased. These dolls ranged from a large stuffed rabbit to a slew of "Beanie Babies." The Beanie Babies were always soft and colorful. They were relatively expensive but each brought great joy to our daughter.

Of course, a child's attention span is very short. And one day's favorite new doll would soon be shoved aside for the next fascinating or lovable little creature. Fame can be fleeting even for Beanie Babies! As the early years whisked by more and more dolls found themselves the victims of indifference. What could we do with the mounting body count? We certainly did not want to toss the dolls away because each one carried a special memory or meaning.

Consequently, most of the dolls were relegated to storage bins. For sure, this would mean a dark and desolate existence in the basement. A few lucky dolls were placed on a shelf overlooking the playroom. But no one really paid attention to them for years.

However, several dolls got some overdue attention ironically due to Hurricane Irene. Because Hurricane Irene threatened New York City with record rains and high winds it became necessary to batten down the hatches and remove all objects to higher ground. Thankfully the hurricane caused little damage. So after the storm passed it was time to put everything back.

But did we really want to keep all of the dolls? Certainly some other little child would love to have many of these precious stuffed animals? Regretfully, most places won't accept used toys. Given all the young children and parents who live in the neighborhood, it seemed to be a good idea to place them in an open bag outside our house. Maybe some of the dolls would be "adopted."

Later in the evening two young ladies from Denmark, perhaps college students, stopped by and found themselves fascinated with the dolls. They decided to do all they could to make sure the furry little creatures found a loving home. After discussing various options with them I remembered there is a child's day care center not too far away. They agreed to take all of the dolls, contained in two large bags, over to the center.

When the young ladies arrived at the day care center they decided to display the dolls on the window ledges, on an air conditioner, amidst security bars and the railings at the entrance of the facility. The wanted to make sure the stuffed treasures were fully appreciated! The dolls waited outside undisturbed all night. Passersby smiled at the site. Some took pictures. And when the children arrived the next morning, the dolls were there to greet them. What a joyous surprise!

The kids were so thrilled they decided to adopt the whole lot of them. And later that day someone put a sign on the railing of the day care center--which told of a happy ending.