Barbie

 I thought my daughters were just humoring me when they came with me to see the Barbie movie. I figured they might be embarrassed so we went to a theater a few towns away where I didn't think anyone would recognize them.

Turns out, they were super excited to see it - maybe even as much as me. At first, I was hesitant about seeing Barbie because I'm not a huge fan of live action remakes of treasured animated favorites. But, the marketing genius behind that movie made it nearly impossible to stay away from. That is 1 hour and 54 minutes I was glad to give and would do again.

If you haven't seen that movie yet, go. It was funny and sad and silly and sweet and thoughtful but, most of all, memorable. I can't remember another movie that has so stirred up memories of my childhood and my daughters' childhood. 

Barbie was one of my favorite toys. I didn't have a lot of them but I took care of them like they were my kids. I would never ever ever think of putting marker makeup on them or trying to change their hair and would get really upset if anyone else touched them. My mom made my Barbie clothes. Looking back, that was freaking awesome. How her fingers could stitch such intricate patterns and sew little snaps and buttons on will forever amaze me. Back then, I didn't like it much. When you are poor, having homemade clothes is not fun - even when they are Barbie clothes. So, if you got a Barbie Dream House, even if it was from a yard sale, it was the best thing you ever saw and you made sure to keep it clean and tidy. And if your friends up the street wanted to use your Barbie clothes, even though they weren't fancy and new, you would not let that happen no matter what.

When my kids got old enough to play with Barbies, I was over the moon. I couldn't wait to sit with them and brush their hair and make sure their shoes matched their outfit and have them act out their roles as mothers and doctors and pilots. But, that wasn't their Barbie vision. My kids, those animals, wanted to change Barbie's clothes and give her mismatched shoes and braid her hair. Um, no, that is not how we play with Barbie, girls. 

You know that feeling you get when you spend five hours cleaning your house and your kid dumps a bowl of fruit punch on the carpet? Or the one when your kid puts play-doh in their hair instead of making a nice little sculpture? Those feelings did not compare. It was more like a feeling of watching your child knock over your dining room hutch filled with your great-grandmother's china. Yeah, I know it's insane, but Barbie being Barbie was important to me. And not because I wanted to ever be like Barbie, but because having something that nice and pretty made me feel in control of something nice and pretty.

My mom did make clothes for my daughters' Barbies. And they did and still do cherish those clothes. Spoiler Alert - One of the most beautiful parts of the movie is a montage of women and girls playing with Barbies. It literally made me sob. (and if my girls weren't embarrassed about seeing the movie with me before, they certainly were now!) It made me think about my mom, who passed away eight years ago, and how much time she must have taken making those Barbie clothes. It made me think of my girls when they were small and how my youngest is leaving for college in a few days. And it also made me think about all the wonderful memories I have that are tied to that doll. I bet there are a lot of moms and daughters who have those same kind of wonderful memories.

So, go see the movie. Embrace its powerful message. Just remember to bring tissues.