Donating feels good!

I was growing up in a land of "not plenty". When I was a little girl I had only one doll and I never thought that I needed more. It was a medium size doll named "Katja", initially with long hair that got trimmed shorter and shorter over the years. She was my companion, soulmate, friend that I could entrust with any secret! When I was learning to sew she was my first super model that got to wear custommade clothes. My Mom would get upset every now and then when she'd pull out one of her old dresses (that she didn't wear for years but was storing for the times of the fashion come back) and discover that it had a hole! I made a doll house for Katja out of a shoe box, with wall paper and curtains over the windows, and furniture made from the empty match boxes. She had a dresser full of clothes, ready for all kinds of weather. Having so little to play with made my imagination, creativity and resourcefulness skyrocket with unbelievable speed. I don't remember being bored or having nothing to do. I was collecting empty medicine bottles and later filled them up with water of different colors and it was my pharmacy. We played "doctor and the patient" for hours with my little sister. I had a chalkboard and occasionally some chalk, so we palyed "School" for hours, and guess who was the teacher! We made a throne with the sofa pillows and wore my Mom's dresses playing "Prince and Princess". My sister always had a short haircut , so her chances of being a Princess were very slim. My childhood was bountiful because I made it that way using my ability to see how to play with just about anything, even if it wasn't a toy.

And now the kids these days have it all! Toys are being labelled "educational" and parents feel oblidged to buy them , because of course we want the best for our children. Plus with the busy lifestyles there is not enough time left to spend with the kids. And then even before you know it child's room and later the basement are filled with toys, that are rarely played with, but rather scattered around and stepped on.

That is hardly the case in our house, but still lately I felt that we've accumulated quite an amount of toys that was not necessary. And so we went through the toys with the girls. I don't think Leona had a clear picture of what was happening, but Ivana understood that the toys that were put in a sack were ment to be donated. We had a talk about how other kids don't have toys, and she had no problem sharing! Now last time we were passing by the containers where we'd dropped off the toys, Ivana happily announced "I hope those kids have something to play with now!" And for sure it's easier clean up time in the evenings!