Cute Kitties and Barbie Dolls
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Cat
By Jessica Lorin Wood

Kittens can happen to anyone.
~Paul Gallico

I am the eldest of three, and with two younger brothers, my parents did not bat an eye when I was still playing with Barbies in sixth grade. I was playing happily with my siblings, and my brother’s G.I. Joes needed girlfriends, so what was the harm?

My classmates were not so understanding. We might have only been eleven, but we were in middle school now. Girls weren’t supposed to play with Barbies and baby dolls anymore. We were supposed to be interested in makeup and boys. I had a large storage bin under my twin bed full of dolls. It was so full that I couldn’t even attach a lid to it. Due to all the teasing, I started playing with the dolls less and less, but I still would take them out on a rainy day, neither wanting to give in to the bullies nor wanting to grow up yet. (Keep reading)