Little Doll Sends A Final Goodbye to Fat Cat and We Say Goodbye to Our Little Doll

The background and first chapter of this story "A Love Story - Little Doll and Fat Cat" begins on the July 21st posting.

Hello!

After Fat Cat had left my studio and was no longer sharing our days, we were all missing him and feeling sad. Little Doll was taking the loss of her friend Fat Cat very hard and she had become very quiet. In a few days she also would be leaving me and her friend Lady G to return to live with her original owner and Lady G and I were concerned that it would be too many goodbyes for our sensitive Little Doll.

Hour after hour Lady G would sit with Little Doll, listening and being there for her small friend. "I know that you are feeling very sad that your friend Fat Cat is gone, but you shared such a wonderful experience with him, being a part of his creation and then all those hours together." "I know" said Little Doll, " and I am grateful for that. I will never forget my time here with all of you. I just miss him and now I know that soon I will be leaving you also."

"I have an idea" I said, " how would you like to send a greeting card to Fat Cat before you leave? I have some cards here that I have created and you are more than welcome to chose one and I can help you to write a little message inside." Immediately, we could see Little Doll liked this idea. "Oh, thank you!" said Little Doll, "That sounds like a wonderful idea! I still have so much I would like to say to Fat Cat!"

So I brought the container where I kept some of my finished cards and set it on a work table and stood Little Doll by the box so that she could pick a card that she liked. Little Doll searched and searched, having me take first one and then another of the cards out of the box so that she could see them. But there was one card that she kept going back to.

Finally she said "I love this card - it looks like me. This is the one I shall send to Fat Cat."

That is a lovely choice!" I said. "I will find an envelope and pen and get it ready for you to sign." "Thank you." said Little Doll, but then she seemed to hesitate. I could tell that she still had more to say so I asked, "Have you changed your mind on your choice of card? You can look through them again if you wish." "Oh no" said Little Doll, "I love this card and it will be perfect, but I was wondering if I might put something with the card when I send it to Fat Cat." "I think that would be fine" I said, "depending on the size of the item. Do you know what it is that you would like to include in the card?" "Not really" said Little Doll, "it was just an idea." "Well, why don't you sit and visit with Lady G and discuss your options while I finish getting the card ready for you to sign and when you have decided, you let me know."

"That is a good idea" she said and so I sat Little Doll on the bench next to her friend Lady G where she had been sitting while Little Doll chose her card and we explained what it was that Little Doll now wanted to do and needed her help with. "I would love to help you decide!" said Lady G, "Let's see what ideas we can come up with." So the two friends put their heads together and in a short time I heard Little Doll say, "We have decided! I would like to send one of the flower blossoms from my garden to Fat Cat as a memory of our friendship. Do you think that would be possible to fit it inside the card?" she asked me. "If it isn't too large, I am sure that one of the blossoms will be just perfect to send to Fat Cat in his card." "I am so happy to hear that!" said Little Doll. "Isn't that wonderful Lady G!" "Oh, yes!" said Lady G, "this is so exciting!"

"I would like to choose what flowers to send" said Little Doll, "would you bring some to me so Lady G can help me to chose one for Fat Cat?" asked Little Doll. "Certainly" I said and brought some of the extra blossoms left from when we decorated the garden and put them in her lap. After a few minutes of "This is a lovely one." and "Oh, this is a beautiful shade of pink" and "I think I love the red color best." Little Doll said to me, "This is what I will send." And on her lap, Little Doll had a small bouquet of both the pink and the red blossoms.

"I could not chose just one as they are all so pretty, do you think this will be too large to fit in the card?" asked Little Doll. "No" I said, "I think we can make this work just fine. You have chosen some beautiful blossoms to go with your card and Fat Cat will be so happy when he see what you have sent him."

"What do you think?" asked Little Doll of Lady G. Do you think Fat Cat will like the card and the flower blossoms I am sending to him?" "They are so lovely together" said Lady G "and perfect to send to Fat Cat. He will surely see the double message - the one you write and the unwritten one of the flowers."

So I helped Little Doll to sign her name and then to write her private message to her friend Fat Cat, which we folded and put inside the card with the flower blossoms.

Then the envelope was addressed to Fat Cat in care of my friend Andrew at his home - where Fat Cat would now be living. And Little Doll was happy and not so sad now that she had been able to say her thoughts to her friend Fat Cat. There would always be a place in her heart for her friend and now it also held the memory of the card, the flower blossoms and the message.

Then the day of my doll club meeting arrived and this meant that it was time for Lady G and me to say goodbye to our friend Little Doll. It was going to be so difficult to see her leave my studio and us as we had become so attached to this small little lady. From our first meeting and the start of Lady G's and Little Doll's friendship and the gift of red bird, through the creation of her little hat and then her very own garden and then the creation of Fat Cat and watching that love story grow. It was heartbreaking to know that we would never see Fat Cat again and now Little Doll but it had been a magical experience to have them both in our lives.

I left Little Doll and Lady G to talk in private - to say what each needed to say. When it was time for Little Doll and me to leave for the doll club meeting, Little Doll said to me, "Before we go, I would like to give Lady G one of the flower blossoms from my garden to remember me by." "Oh, Little Doll, that would be so lovely, but I will always remember you as the prettiest flower in your garden - you looked like a princess."

"Please set me by the garden" said Little Doll, "as I would like to pick one of the flowers for my friends Lady G and dove." And so I did, and so she did, and this is what she gave to Lady G. A beautiful red rose bud. "For you and dove" she said to Lady G, "to remember our time together and all that we shared."

"I will miss you Lady G" she said. "I will always hold you and dove in my heart next to Fat Cat and I will never forget you." "I will miss you too Little Doll, you will always be in my heart also." said Lady G and as she took the flower from Little Doll, she leaned over and kissed her on her cheek and gave a pat to red bird's head. "Goodbye red bird" she said, "take good care of Little Doll for us!" And the two little dolls and their two little birds sat quietly for a few moments - and said goodbye.

And so ends the love story of Little Doll and Fat Cat - and in there was also the story of Little Doll and dove and red bird and their friendship. Lady G and I had been blessed to have them in our lives and although we were sad to see them leave us we also were happy for them that now both would have homes of their own where they were loved and cared for.

Before I placed Fat Cat in his wrappings to be mailed and before I put Little Doll into her paper bag with her garden - I kissed them on their heads, told them I loved them too and would never forget them and said a blessing request that they would be happy.

EPILOGUE

I received word from Andrew that Fat Cat had arrived safely and was happily welcomed and received as a wonderful gift and would forever hold a place of honor and love as a member of Andrew's family. I knew then that Fat Cat would be happy.

When I took Little Doll from her paper bag at my doll club meeting to return her to the dollmaker who originally created Little Doll's doll body, the look of happiness on the woman's face to finally receive her doll back made me know that Little Doll would be loved and happy in her new home and that when she sat in her very own little garden she would be content.

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Thanks for stopping by today! I hope that you have enjoyed the story! A heartfelt thanks to all who sent your wonderful e-mails and comments of how you felt about this little tale. They inspired me and supported me and made me smile. There were 3 more dolls that came to stay with me during the Paper Bag Challenge and they all had their own stories. But they are for another time. Tomorrow, a card project! :<)

Hugs,

Barbara Diane