This past week I have been trying to clean out my bedroom—this includes the closet. If your closet is anything like mine, it’s an “enter at your own risk” danger zone. As I was sorting through knick-knacks and keepsakes, with my imaginary hardhat on and all, I came upon a little American Girl box full of clothes and shoes. I forgot I had these cute little outfits. There they were, stuffed away with all their fond memories. Each little accessory, every tiny shoe brought me back to when I was eight, sitting on that very floor playing with my Kirsten doll.
I know I’m only nineteen, but moments like this make me feel old. How has so much time passed since my sister and I would play with our dolls together? It’s true what your parents tell you about growing up. Time just goes faster and faster. From day one our clocks are on accelerate and we need to take the care to appreciate each moment as they pass by. This is the very reason that I am taking a small amount of time to reflect on the moments taken for granted as a child, and the ways that American Girl impacted my childhood.
1. Activities that involved American Girl nurtured my relationship with my mom.
When I was about seven, I was given a miniature Kaya doll for Christmas and my sister was given a miniature Josefina doll. My mom took us to an American Girl fashion show where we were served a nice dinner and saw girls our age fashioning outfits that matched their dolls. We thought this was the coolest thing ever. It wasn’t long before we were playing dress up with our dolls and mom was teaching us how to sew dresses so we could match them. Each doll came with a book that told their story and mom would read them with us. In the back of the book, there were activities and crafts, even recipes that related to the book in some way, and my mom, my sister and I would do them together. We painted wooden spoons like Kirsten, collected cans like Molly and made spiced hot chocolate like Josefina. The memories go on and my mom, being the crafty genius that she is, jumped right on board with all the fun little projects we wanted to try and even initiated some of them herself! Some of my fondest memories with my mom include American Girl and I am so thankful for the bond we were able to build through the activities we did together.
2. The stories of the American Girls developed my love for history.
From a very young age I was enthralled with anything historic. I remember being fascinated with the many cultures we learned about through the stories of these historic characters. Their stories gave life to the eras we learned about from school in a way no lesson could match. One summer, our family went to the New York State Fair where I was able to visit exhibits and learn about the traditions of the Native American people that lived in Upstate New York, similar to the traditions that Kaya had. Christmas came around that year and I was given the Swedish Kirsten doll. That caused me to study (in the coolest way possible) immigration in the 1800’s. In middle school, I was still intrigued by stories of immigrants through Ellis Island and wrote a mock diary from the perspective of an Irish girl for a history project. I still have a passion for history and the stories of people who have lived before me. Much has changed over time, I’ve learned, but not as much as we may think sometimes.
3. Kit Kittredge grew my desire to write.
When I was little, I loved to write poetry, play rhyming games and learn new vocabulary. There were always story plots running around in my head. Being able to express them in the most accurate way possible was always a challenge and a thrill for me, and when I found out there was an American Girl character who also loved to write, I immediately felt like I found a new best friend. Kit was a tomboy who loved adventure and recording all of the exciting things that happened to her. She lived during the Great Depression and aspired to be a journalist someday. Her life during this era inspired me to write one of my first short stories when I was nine about a homeless girl during the Depression. From then on, I knew that I wanted to be published someday, a voice to give voices to the unheard and silenced, somehow, some way. Now I’m majoring in writing and communications, and writing for an online platform where I can represent Millennials. I am still aspiring, but I have to thank American Girl for inspiring me further to adventure and write.
When I finished sorting through the box I found while cleaning my room, I folded the clothes carefully and set them inside my wooden chest. I did this hoping that I would be able to give my dolls to a girl someday not only as a toy to play with but as a character to challenge her and inspire her to reach for the dreams she has. This was the true gift my parents gave me when they gave them to me, and I will always be grateful for it.
