Cedarfield News
My Toni Doll
December 25, 2019
Becky Maxwell, Resident
When I was growing up in Ohio, Santa Claus brought the Christmas tree to our house each year. Each Christmas Eve my parents would take us to deliver gifts to friends and relatives before we went to a restaurant to eat dinner. After dinner, we would drive around to see Christmas lights. We loved this tradition. When we passed a house with a Christmas tree, my father would say, “there is a tree in that house—Santa must have already begun delivering gifts. We’d better hurry home and go to sleep!”
When we woke up on Christmas morning, we were greeted by a decorated tree complete with gifts. One Christmas morning I will never forget was the year that my sister and I each received a Toni doll. I was eight years old and my sister was three years old. Oh, how we loved those dolls. My mother made clothes for our dolls. I remember little velvet coats, skating dresses, and even little roller skates. These dolls were especially meaningful to us because our grandmother was a beautician who gave people permanents. The dolls came with their own tiny curlers and solution for us to give perms to the dolls.
Years later I discovered the mystery of Santa. I was told that as long as I did not tell my sister, I could help undecorate the tree. This was a special time as I learned how much work and love went into making this Christmas surprise possible, and I truly appreciated it.
I still have a trunk my father made from an old cigar box to hold
