I have one Christmas that stands out above all the others in my life. I was in third grade. It was 1983….and I had ONE wish for Christmas. I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll.
For those of you who remember 1983…you know that getting a Cabbage Patch Doll that year wasn't an easy feat! They were VERY hard to get. Everyone wanted one…. I can remember very vividly my parents telling me that even Santa couldn't get Cabbage Patch Dolls that year. They asked for other items for my list. They reminded me that we don't always get everything we ask for.
As a parent I have reminded my own kids of the same thing when they want things that are unrealistic. I don't want them to be disappointed on Christmas morning. I let them know that even Santa has a budget! 🙂
I remember that year so clearly. I remember dreaming about having one of those sought after dolls. I tried to remember that I may not get one, but I sure did dream about it a lot!
Christmas morning arrived….it was always magical at our house! We had HUGE stockings full of goodies. We had lots of gifts. My parents didn't spoil us during the year…but Christmas was different! I got a new bike and was thrilled…I had plenty of wonderful gifts. My brother and I had finished opening all our gifts. I was really trying to not show any disappointment because I hadn't gotten the Cabbage Patch Doll. All of a sudden my dad said…Jamie, I think I see a present you missed.
Behind the Christmas tree was an unwrapped box…….the only box I had been looking for that year. A brand new Cabbage Patch Doll!
I was estatic….there is actually a picture of me in mid-air…which was pretty extrodinary considering my parents were taking pictures with a polorid camera! I have never been so excited to get a gift in my life…before that time or after!
It was years later when I realized how magical that day really was. My parents had both tried everything to buy me the doll. They were sold out everywhere. They stood in lines and just keep striking out. That was when they started to prepare me for the possibility that Santa wouldn't be able to bring me the doll.
My parents were hard workers,but we didn't have a lot of extra money. My dad was a salesman and he traveled around the state a few days every month with his job. He had talked with his clients and asked if any of them knew of anyone selling a Cabbage Patch Doll. He finally hit the jackpot. He found someone through his business contacts that had one for sale. He bought it for an exhoribant price…….more than I am sure he could afford.
The funny part is that he didn't tell my mom about it. It all happened really close to Christmas. My dad says the look on my mom's face that morning was almost better than the look on my face. She had NO idea where that Cabbage Patch Doll had come from….she really BELIEVED in Santa that day!
I still have that doll….hey maybe I will be buried with it! 🙂 That doll represents a lot to me….my parents love and sacrifice so that I could have a magical Christmas! I try every year to make Christmas wonderful for my kids as well….but so far I don't think I have been able to top the Cabbage Patch Doll!
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Isn’t that funny that we all have that “one” Christmas memory and the “one” gift that was huge? I wonder what that gift will be for my kids.
That is a great question….it will be fun to someday hear what made the list for our children!
Jamie, this is so funny. I adored cabbage patch dolls as a child, too! I was lucky enough to get a couple from my family growing up. I wish I knew what happened to them!
There aren’t many toys I kept…but I did keep my Cabbage Patch Doll! Glad you were lucky enough to have one too!