It all started when I was having lunch with one of the residents. She has cancer and was having a bad day. I said to her that I had just the thing for her. I will make her a Dammit Doll.
Some years ago, when I belonged to an Art club in Ada, Oklahoma, and we were having a Christmas Party. One of the members made a bunch of clothes dolls for everyone at the Party - A Dammit Doll for each of us. She said that when things did not go well for us, we should get hold of the doll and slam it and swear. A great stress relief Tool!
So I made the lady a clothe doll with button-eyes and yarn-hair. I thought my doll had character, and she did, too.
Soon, I made several of them and gave them away, asking the recipients to make a donation for our Annual Employee Holiday Fund. We are nor permitted to give tips to our employees. So once a year, we collected money from the residents and distributed to all those who serve us all year long. We have the front desk helpers, the behind the desk helpers, the drivers, the housekeepers, the maintenance people, the kitchen staff, the dining room staff, and so on. All 50+ of them.
People started asking for the Dolls. One day, someone I hardly knew, asked me to make her 8 dolls. I looked at her and thought, What Nerve!
She said that she would pay for them. I thought Why Not. It pays for my expenses. So it started. Pretty soon, more people were asking me to make some dolls as presents to their grand-children, for their friends, and so on. I ended up giving a bunch of them away and sold quite a few. People were also giving me scarps of materials and unused buttons and so on.
The dolls brought smiles to many and laughters to some.
When I gave some dolls to those who have issues with their health or feeling sorry for themselves at times, thinking that their families abandoned them, real or imaginary . . .
That made me feel good.
So it went on with the Dammit Dall saga.
You are fabulous!
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