The prompt for day four of Bloganuary is “What was your favorite toy as a
child?”

I honestly wanted to skip this prompt today because I felt this topic was
too basic and didn’t spark joy. But, then I started to wonder, why does
talking about a favorite childhood toy prompt me to shirk away? In pondering this, I realized that I had no favorite toy as a child. I had no one
play-thing that held memories of a carefree childhood.

While I played with toys at school or at other friends’ homes, I never had a
toy that I bonded with or that helped me subconsciously cope with life’s
obstacles. I cannot think of any toy that kindlers the idea of a nostalgic
youth. I remember having a teddy bear called Yah-yee and several cheap
plastic dolls from China that all fell apart within months or a year after
receiving them.

I guess this says a lot about my childhood. While it was bazaar at times, it
almost seemed like I was straddling two worlds. One where all my basic needs were provided and another where I was seriously deprived of some rudimentary things.

For me, the prompt is not only about showing off that one toy you dragged
everywhere, it allows others to peak through the curtains of your life,
exposing hints of your personality, and ultimately, it speaks volumes about
your childhood. For those who came from childhoods, they would rather forget or the others who experienced many disappointments. It stirs up old memories of a childhood with less.

As I come to the end of this post, I remember that I always wanted a real
Barbie doll with a fancy dress and full head of hair. So maybe I should gift
myself with one if these dolls to reward the child in me with a toy that she
never had.