The Doll Maker

My partner Silke is a doll maker.

I often walk into the room and find creatures like this sitting pleasantly at the table. It's a wonder to see her work. Sometimes, it's even more wonderful to stumble upon her work in her absence. The fabric, the needles, the paint. Little scraps of yarn all over the table.

I've seen her make hundreds of dolls. Some simple. Some very, very complex. These two have more history and personality than you could possibly imagine from a photo.

Have you ever talked at length with a child who is serious about their drawing? So much depth is revealed there, even in the tiny scribbles. My own daughter can work on a drawing for hours. I love her artistry, but what I love even more is the story going on behind her eyes as she creates it. Layers upon layers, rich beyond my comprehension.

And yet, I comprehend. I have this interior life too. I see it in Silke, her dolls, her stories. She is magnificent.

I have watched her not only craft these dolls from the outside, but the inside. The very shape of the head, so subtle, yet superb. She uses old fabric, stuffed with cotton. Then sews "eye lines" and other features - just to get the right shape! This, then, is covered with another piece of fabric, then hair stitched on, a hat, a smile.

The body, soft and pliable, is actually a woven loop of floral wire - to which are attached hands, feet, and head. Only then does the doll get clothes, stuffing, and the tiny features that make it dance with meaning. It gets that close to the bone.

And the stories! The invisible realm, stitched into the visible. Like my daughter's drawings, these dolls are suffused with meaning. Quite a wonder to watch such a craftswoman in her shop.

It is a gift that I have such people in my life. It's a gift that I have the ability to notice. I have achieved modest success with my writing and it occurs to me constantly that my own gift is simply to describe what all these other wonderful people are doing. Sharing. Bringing attention. Crafting the bittersweet harmonies of joy, grief, and laughter. Weaving colors and shapes into gratitude. Thank you. Constantly. Thank you.