Something in my Pocket

Did you have or do you have now a tiny toy that you keep with you? A tiny teddy bear, or doll. A small bunny or dinosaur. Perhaps it's a little car or truck. Maybe you have a rock or a coin or a paper bill. Does it live in your pocket? On your desk at work? In your briefcase or purse or backpack? You are not alone.

The Christmas I was 8, I got in my stocking, a Skittle doll. She had long straight black hair. Her head was about the size of a Barbie doll head and the body was only as long as the head was tall. She had on a teeny tiny outfit. I remember my younger sister got a doll also, but cannot recall the details. That little tiny doll was about 2 inches tall in total. I loved that doll. She was just the right size to put in a pocket. No one but me knew she was there. She became my secret companion.

When I was feeling left out on the playground at school, I could reach into my pocket and knew I wasn't entirely alone. I'd hide her in my pillow when I went to bed at night. After all, I was a big girl now and didn't need a night time toy to go to sleep.

I told her my dreams and wishes. At about 10 or 11, I stopped carrying her in my pocket. But she had a place of honor on my desk at home. I still needed that reassurance as I headed into my teen years that I wasn't alone. About that time, I spent several pain staking afternoons after school making her some clothing. She had a bathrobe I was particularly proud of because I had managed, in spite of the huge difference between her body and her head, to make an attached hood on the robe that actually worked.

When I was making teddy bears years ago, I became fascinated with the miniature bears of 3 inches tall or less. I experimented with sewing such tiny bears. I gave one to my son. Turns out that he kept that little bear in his pocket through grade school and middle school. It became that important companion. I have since given out miniature bears to others, both children and adults, only to discover that the little bears were kept in pockets or the dash of the car or a place of honor on a desk.

For some reason we as youngsters, as teens, and as adults need that little bit of comfort. That something outside of ourselves that reassures us. Maybe it isn't a "toy". Perhaps it's a key chain decoration or something hanging from the rear view mirror on our vehicle. It's a little something that is meaningful that sits on a dresser, a dashboard, or a nightstand. It's not always a toy, maybe it's an interesting rock. Whatever it is, we feel better for having it.

Knowing this, I have created pocket dragons. They are about 2 inches (5cm) long nose to tail. They will be available in my Etsy shop soon. I'm finishing up the pictures and descriptions. If you feel the need, or know someone who might just need, a tiny dragon to be that little something meaningful, stop by the shop and take a look.