My Raggedy Ann

MY RAGGEDY ANN

My dear Aunt Dagne, who died at age 90 in August 2005, made this Raggedy Ann doll for me some years ago. It was, of course, truly a labor of love. I have treasured my special Raggedy Ann all along, but even more so now as a daily tangible reminder of my aunt.

Raggedy Ann sits, day by day by day, atop one of our stereo TV speakers. I wonder what she thinks about as she sits there silently, smiling like the Mona Lisa.

Maybe she daydreams about places she's been, people she's met. Or maybe she wishes she were somewhere else, like I do sometimes, but only sometimes. Mostly I'm glad to just be where I am, because I learned a long time ago that the grass is not always greener over yonder. I think maybe Raggedy Ann knows that, too, because she's never really tried to leave.

I guess she and I both know that sometimes it's best to live life right where you are.

Here's what the original looked like:

And here's a whole bunch of tiny Raggedys: