Be Careful What You Wish For!

I was born the same year that the Barbie Doll came out. She was every little girl’s dream, mine included. I can’t remember a time that I didn’t have a Barbie in my hand playing with her. I could be everything I ever dreamed of. I could be smart, beautiful and powerful. I could travel anywhere in the world that I wanted to in my Barbie convertible, and I did. Some of the most wonderful memories I have are of my mother and granny Irene making my Barbie doll clothes that I still have. I can still remember my mother struggling to make those little shirts with the stitching designs and you could see the frustration on her face, but she always smiled and made me feel like it was the most important job she had to do. I am now 51 years old and I still have those clothes and the McCall patterns and the dolls in my hope chest. I would wished over and over that I would grow up to be just like Barbie. Everyone says be careful what you wish for. I wanted to be the beautiful Barbie doll; didn’t the dream maker know that? Didn’t he pay attention to what I was wishing for? Life is ironic let me tell you. In March 1959 Ruth Handler created Barbie doll for her daughter Barbara and then later created Ken for her son Kenneth. I am always looking for signs to let me know my life is going the way it is supposed to be. My name is Cookie and I was born in 1959 to Kenneth and Barbara. My mother was born in March and her middle name was Ruth. (You have to love my logic!) I suffer from Ankylosing Spondylitis and at this time I am unable to bend or move from side to side due to the fusing of my spine. I am just like the Barbie that came out in 1959. I am stiff and not  bendable. I figured the dream maker must be a man, because he only heard the parts he wanted to of my wish to be just like Barbie. I have joked for years that I was going to change my name legally to Barbie; most don’t understand my sense of humor. I told my husband I was going to change my name to Barbie and he became unglued. I said, “Good Lord, Ronnie it isn’t that big of a deal for me to change my name.” He said, “ Maybe not for you but for me it would be! I would have to become Ken and have you ever seen the package he has!” I busted out laughing and said what package?  My husband replied exactly!    Men, you have to love them.