The Narrative of a Little Doll

Stories and dolls. Dolls that inspire us to rewrite our life story — especially in times of grief. Art therapy tools that truly work. Tested through personal experience.

One wonderful day, the little doll woke up, went outside, and felt that the world around her was beautiful. The sun was shining, a gentle breeze touched her face, carrying the scents of freshly cut grass and the first autumn aromas of yellowing leaves. There was also that strange, elusive smell of caramel, as if in every house, sweet little magical creatures had worked all night to delight each resident with fresh, fragrant candies by morning.

The doll looked around, remembered her light-green bicycle with white polka dots, and decided to ride through the fresh, dewy streets while the city was still peacefully asleep. She pedaled, reminiscing whether it was a dream or a memory of her past life, a rich field of bright treasures in the form of intertwined giant braids of yellow, green, and purple. In her mind, she touched their surface, plunging her hands into the beautiful tangle of fibers and yarn, each time finding something new, interesting, and pulling it into the light, realizing how many pleasant surprises were hidden in this colorful array of colors and textures.

Her woven basket, her favorite accessory on her bike, filled with both imaginary and real things that delighted her eyes and quickened the flow of her thoughts and fantasies, thoughts she wanted to bring into reality as soon as possible. The doll arrived at a large park by the ocean, where joyful adults and children usually flew kites during the day, but now there were almost no people. Only the occasional runner passed by.

She recalled one early morning from her childhood when her older brothers and neighbor boys flew a kite, which got tangled in the electric wires. They stood there, figuring out how to free it. She, a small girl, simply watched their "grown-up games" and thought how wonderful it must be to be as big as they were and know how to fly a kite. She imagined how amazing it would feel to hold the tail of that lively sky marvel.

For some reason, she remembered the tall spring maple tree that stood between her family's yard and the neighbors' on Zelena Street, where she lived with her parents, grandmother, and older brothers from birth until she was eight. That maple tree was also special. Every spring, they placed a jar under it to collect maple sap, and sometimes they would let her have a taste. Back then, there was nothing more delicious than that maple sap.

Her soul trembled, her heart tightened, and the doll returned to the reality that surrounded her in that moment. It was a different reality, with different people, and different maples—not Ukrainian ones, but now Canadian. Yet the trees were just as tall as they had seemed in her childhood, and the air was still filled with curiosity and a love for life. And, strangely enough, this country became the place where, after many, many years, her childhood dream of flying a kite came true. It happened at a time when she wasn't looking for it or even dreaming about it. Here it was, her bright kite, in her hands, soaring high above her head, showing her that dreams are worth pursuing and that it's worth believing that the small seeds in your hands will grow into beautiful fruits at the appointed time.

It was like a message from the heavens from her brothers, watching over their little doll-sister playing with a kite along with another boy by her side, both rejoicing in the blue sky, the sun, and the kite flying in this peaceful sky. For him, too, this kite became the realization of a childhood dream.

And together, her father, her mother, and everyone the little doll had ever loved were also rejoicing, sending their greetings in the form of a gentle breeze that softly kissed her cheek and kept the kite aloft. From somewhere, the chorus of familiar heavenly voices whispered: "Just keep planting and watering the seeds of your dreams. Just do what you can and keep moving forward. Let the journey of your soul be illuminated by the light of your thoughts and hopes. Believe that dreams come true in the most amazing ways. If they bloom inside you, it means your soul will find a way to bring them to life."