‘I remember one Christmas telling Daddy I was probably too old for dolls and he said, ‘You wouldn’t want just one more?’: Bonny shares childhood memories thanks to StoryWorth

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Bonny’s story is part of an ongoing collaboration between Love What Matters and StoryWorth, an online service that makes writing your loved one’s memoir (or your own)  as easy as writing an email. Click here to learn more about StoryWorth and begin capturing your loved one’s lifetime of memories to cherish forever.

What were your favorite toys as a child?

When I was growing up we didn’t have all the fancy toys that children have today. I think my imagination was my favorite toy. Our back yard had a well placed slope that coordinated with Mom’s clothesline, which made for a natural stage, curtain and all, when a sheet was hung on the clothesline. I organized plays for the neighborhood kids, mostly well known fairy tales. I remember one particular play, acting out the standard story and then improvising a comedy version of the same tale.

We would roller skate in the road and had a lot of fun jumping rope with creative rhymes.

A few years ago, God reminded me of an event as a child: Joanne McCoy lived across the street from me and she challenged me to a roller skate race. Joanne was older than I, had longer legs and she had real shoe skates. I had old skates that clamped onto my sneakers and tightened with a key, and I have always been shorter than others my age. I knew she would beat me with those odds stacked against me. I needed help! So I went over to the bushes by the road, got down on my knees and asked God to help me win. We then began our race. Lo and behold, I won! Joanne was quite affronted so she challenged me to a second race. Back to the bushes I went to pray! She yelled, ‘What are you doing over there?’ I mumbled, ‘Oh, nothing.’ And went on to win again.

It seems I have been praying all my life!

As a child, I remember having a great idea for an invention to help mankind. This invention would allow people to feel the pain of others. Someone could bear an older person’s pain and give them a reprieve to garner strength to continue to fight his or her illness. This invention would help us to be more compassionate as we better understood the struggles of others. Quite a thought for a child, it seems. Now, as an adult, God has given me the ‘gift’ of feeling others’ emotional pain, which gives me a greater understanding to minister and pray for the hurting.

Since I was closer in age with my brothers I would play baseball with them or swing on vines in the local woods. Ice skating was a winter favorite. I had double bladed skates that strapped onto my boots. Sledding was also an exhilarating sport in the cold months. Winter never stopped our activity.

I played alone easily with a little kitchen set that was left in the house we moved into in Colonie, NY. My younger brother Dave would play house with me if I let him be the horse. Imaginations! We would play cops and robbers or cowboys with toy guns or pointing fingers. Hide and seek or climbing trees were also favorites.

I remember one Christmas telling Daddy I was probably too old for dolls anymore and he said, ‘You wouldn’t want just one more?’ which meant they had already purchased one for me.

And what a doll she was! She had earrings, nylon stockings and high heels. I spent a good many hours with her, making clothes for her out of my dad’s old socks. I even found a piece of felt and made her a 50’s ‘poodle skirt.’

A child’s imagination is a special gift.

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Read more from Bonny:

‘She kept her pain to herself, always putting on a brave face. Mom was always standing tall.’: Woman remembers mother’s sacrifice and love for her family thanks to StoryWorth

‘My kids were eating breakfast when I heard a knock. A sheriff’s deputy greeted me. ‘Your husband’s been killed.’ My world came crashing down.’: Widow talks turning grief into a positive thanks to StoryWorth

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