Harriet's Story (vintage Mattel The Happy Family Mother Hattie)

I never expected to become a single mother. I had a husband once, when I was new. We were packaged together, along with our baby. I still remember the day we were bought. I remember the design on the brightly colored paper that was used to wrap our box, a present for a little girl roughly 40 years ago. That little girl grew up, and we were put in storage.

If only I'd known what would happen after that. There's so many things I wish I could go back and tell my husband. I wish I'd told him more often how much I love him. There were days in storage when I got angry at him, not because of anything he'd done but because I was so tired of it all. I was tired of the way each day dragged on, the same as the last. I was tired of waiting for something to change. If I'd known I was going to lose him I would've tried harder to control my temper, and to enjoy the waiting.

The drive to the thrift store was long. We were left there, ready to be bagged, tagged and shelved. I was bagged with Hon, our baby. But Hal, my husband, wasn't bagged with us. I watched as he was put in another bag with some random, blond Barbie doll. I watched as he was put in the front row on the display rack, before me and Hon were put several rows back. I caught glimpses of him as a customer took Hal's bag off the rack and walked up to the registers with it. I would've stopped caring what happened to me after that, if I hadn't had our baby with me.

It's been difficult, getting used to being a single mother. I miss Hal so much, but I keep putting my feelings aside so I can be there for Honey, our baby. Treesa changed her name from Hon to Honey, the same way she changed my name from Hattie to Harriet. The other dolls in the collection have been very understanding. They gave me my space, when I asked for it. Some of them offered to listen if I needed to talk. I'm grateful to them. But it's been hard for me to feel like I really belong. I feel so different from them because I'm scaled differently than them. I look like a child, standing next to a Barbie doll. Treesa also had trouble finding clothes for a doll my size. Honey still has her original outfit, but I don't. Treesa used a Barbie wrap skirt to dress me, wrapped and tied in such a way that it resembles a dress.

Some days, I feel like giving up. But I keep going, for Honey. I know she depends on me, and I know how easily I could've lost her too. I try to live my life one day at a time, focusing on those little moments I most want to remember so I can treasure them always. I took too many things for granted before I lost Hal, but not anymore.

 Harriet and Honey

Stay Strong, Harriet