My Raggedy

One of our prompts for Journal Your Christmas is "Best Present". I've gotten a lot of best presents, but I want to write about one that is over 45 years old. Above you see a picture, captured from old film I recently had transferred to DVD, of my Raggedy Ann on the day VALERIE got her for Christmas. Yes, I said Valerie. She was not originally my doll. That Christmas I got an absolutely beautiful doll with a gorgeous bed, one I'm sure I asked Santa for. I don't know why I fell in love with Raggedy Ann. Maybe because she was so soft and loveable, or maybe because she said "I LOVE YOU" on her heart. I traded the beautiful doll for Raggedy Ann, who then slept in the gorgeous pink frou frou bed (can you just imagine it!). I still have Raggedy Ann and I still love her. She was very well loved. If you've ever read the book "The Velveteen Rabbit" (and I suggest that you do!), you will know what I mean when I say that I think she is now real. Here's a picture of her today.

You can see that she is not in good shape, as any well-loved doll would be. You might be able to see that she still has bandaids on her leg and foot. By the way she looks, I think she needed more than just bandaids! I don't know where her clothes are. Valerie and Susan probably absconded with them! Can you believe she still has her hair and both eyes! One thing I can tell you is that I still love her and she still loves me as you can see below.

I still love Raggedys and it's so cool that the annual Raggedy Ann and Andy Festival (yes, I love Andy too) is held just 30 minutes away in Arcola, Illinois where Johnny Gruelle, who wrote the Raggedy Ann stories, was born. They even have a Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum. One year we got to see Gruelle's grandchildren who signed a book for us. Gruelle wrote the Raggedy Ann and Andy stories for his daughter, Marcella, while she was very sick. She later died at age 13. I now have several Raggedy Anns and Andys, but this one was the first. I often give a Raggedy Ann or Andy as a new baby gift and I usually keep a new one around for just that purpose.

I must say I was so excited to find the picture of my Raggedy Ann on her "birthday" I just had to write about her! Did you have a doll or other stuffed animal that you really loved? Do you still have it? Don't let it go because you will feel that love forever and you may need it someday.