The Fat Paper Doll

Remember playing with paper dolls? Specially those of you who are around my age – extremely sophisticated, absolutely gorgeous, oh! So.. young…(at heart)…oops… sorry if I hurt your feelings…

Yes, I was also one of those who were crazy about playing with the paper dolls. Some of my friends had ready-made, cutouts sent to them by their uncles and aunts living abroad. But for some of us, we had to rely on someone with good drawing skills. My two sisters were very good at drawing and sketching figures, specially my second. But is was such a struggle to get them to oblige. My brother Lalin, was also good in art but not necessarily sketching female figures. In fact, he had won a couple of awards at school for his work. I wanted to be in-with-the-crowd, since I could not get the help from my sisters I approached by brother. As usual, he was very obliging and always willing to help. After all, I am his baby sister. So he drew me a doll – all I wanted was a doll – and I was ever so thankful to him.

Upon seeing my doll my friends laughed at me… They said my doll looked liked me – sure it was a fat doll and had no shape unlike the ones they had. She also did not have pretty little under wear like the others. She wore boxer shorts and a vest. But it was o.k. because it was drawn by my brother and I was proud of it. It was the best he could do. It didn’t matter that my doll wasn’t the prettiest or the one with the best figure…Because of him I was able to be in-with- the- crowd… that's what mattered to me.

I learnt an important lesson here – I understood the meaning of “it’s the thought and effort that matters” – and it certainly was. He helped me when I really needed it. Thanks Bro, you are the best!