“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
Psalm 127:3 (NIV)
Whether we have children or not, we are all someone’s children, and the bible says that children are a heritage from the Lord, and a reward to their parents. Even after our parents are long gone, we carry on their heritage, just as our children and grandchildren will carry on ours. Everyone could share in some way, how they are carrying on the heritage of their own parents. It could be a faith tradition, recipes, a passion for a cause, a hobby, or heirlooms and artifacts that remain in the family. Recently, an antique doll in my home, was used to strengthen a bond in my own family.
I have been in possession of an antique porcelain doll for twenty years. Mary Margaret was my mother’s cherished childhood doll, who I first met when I was a little girl. Years later, when my mother was retired and living in California, her first granddaughter, Lisa, was introduced to Mary Margaret as well. Then Lisa grew up, got married and had Maria, my mother’s great granddaughter, who also became familiar with Mary Margaret.
It occurred to me last week that my mother, niece, great niece and I, all shared a common bond, beyond our blood line. We know a 112 year old doll named Mary Margaret, who has been a part of our family heritage for four generations. It’s not the doll itself that is so special, but our common impression of love that my mom left on all three of us.
The day arrived when my mother, at 91, could no longer live on her own, so we moved her from her California home to Glenview, Illinois, to live with my husband and I. Of course, Mary Margaret came with, and in the later stages of my mother’s dementia, that doll brought her even more joy. My friend’s grandmother who restores old dolls, offered to restore Mary Margaret’s eyes, hair and also made her many new outfits.
Mary Margaret’s makeover made my mom so happy that it was all she talked about in those final days. A year later, in 2006, my mother passed away at the age of 92. Mary Margaret sat alone on a shelf in my spare bedroom, for twenty years, with no girls to play with, or talk to her, comb her hair, or change her outfit.
One part of this story that hasn’t been told, is that ever since my mother’s death, our family grew apart, since she was the glue that kept everyone together. Living in different states and busy with our own immediate families, we rarely communicated with each other, except for events like holidays, funerals or weddings.
Since my son doesn’t value family heirlooms or antique dolls, I started wondering what would become of Mary Margaret when I’m gone. I wondered what my mother would want and after praying about it, I contacted my niece, Lisa, in California.
She was the first grandchild and grew up close to my mom, but I wasn’t sure if she would even remember or care about the doll after all those years, since Lisa is 47, with children of her own. I took a chance and asked if she would want her grandmother’s Mary Margaret doll.
Lisa told me that she definitely wanted the doll. She said she always wondered what happened to Mary Margaret and was so glad to learn that I still had her. I told her I would send the doll to her, along with the clothes made by my friend’s grandmother, and she was absolutely thrilled.
Lisa then told her daughter, Maria, who is now a young adult, that Mary Margaret is coming back to California, and she was thrilled. My great niece told her mom, “Mary Margaret will be staying in my room.” I was amazed at how much joy the news of that doll, brought to my niece and great niece.
Lisa and I also shared our sentimental memories of my mother, especially in connection to Mary Margaret. We are a part of four generations of females who shared a family heritage of a doll, along with the blessing of having my mother in our lives. After our conversation, it seemed like Heaven had a plan to reunite all of us through a doll, who was destined to stay in the family for years to come.
I looked at Mary Margaret for the last time at the UPS office, before shipping her, knowing she would be well cared for. It was a new chapter in a doll’s life, in mine and in my nieces’ lives, as I imagined my mother smiling down from Heaven, on all three of us girls.
Lord, use whatever it takes in our lives to revive unity among our families, so that we may always appreciate one another as being a heritage from you. Amen
