My Friend Sally

Ani never wanted to play with dolls like her younger sister did.
Her sister would be given a new doll each birthday, and she would play with them for hours and
hours until she got bored of them and decided she didn’t want it anymore. And then the next
special holiday, her sister would be given another doll. A shiny new Barbie with different hair
and clothing than the last one. And she would play with that one until she got bored of it and
decided she didn’t want it anymore.
Ani never cared for dolls or Barbies until she was given one that was so soft and so pretty that
Ani had to keep it. But she didn’t play with the doll like her sister did. She would tuck the doll in
bed and talk to it. The doll was never played with, but she was loved and treated as the most
special gift in the world. She never left the doll at home when she wasn’t there because she was
scared the doll would feel all alone.
This doll was named Sally, and it was no longer an it, but a she. Sally wasn’t real like how Ani
was, but Ani loved her anyway. When Ani got a bit older, she felt comfortable enough to leave
Sally at home, because Ani could handle the big world around her without her friend. She was
always under her bedsheet covers; waiting for Ani to get back home.
Sally was Ani’s best friend. When Ani was scared to go on the airplane for the first time, Ani’s
mom reminded her that nothing bad would happen to her because Sally was there to protect her.
When Ani was scared to go on a rollercoaster for the first time, she remembered that Sally was in
her backpack. Even though Ani couldn’t see her, she knew Sally was there which made Ani feel
safe.
One day, when Ani returned from school, she noticed Sally wasn’t in her bed! This scared Ani
because she didn’t know where she was. She looked under her bed, she looked under her sheets,
she looked in her closet, and even in her drawers, but just couldn’t find her anywhere! Ani even
called her mom, but she didn’t know where she was either! Her mom told Ani, “She must have
fallen out of your backpack when you weren’t looking”. But Ani couldn’t believe it! Ani’s best
friend was gone forever, and it made Sally so very sad.
Ani has never lost anyone before, and she didn’t know what to do. Ani cried for a very long time
because she was so very sad.
When Ani woke up, she noticed her mom was sitting on her bed, stroking her hair. “Sally isn’t
coming back. I have looked under your bed, I have looked under your sheets, I have looked in
your closet, and even in your drawers, but I just couldn’t find her anywhere”.
“I know. I looked too”, replied Ani.
“I know how much you loved her”, said mom.
“I do love her, and she’s gone forever, and I don’t know what to do”, said Ani.
“When my mom died, I was very sad too. One day, she just left me, and I didn’t know what to do
either. It’s okay to be sad. I cried when my mom passed away because she wasn’t there to tuck
me in at night and she wasn’t there to give me hugs anymore. You can’t give Sally hugs anymore
and you can’t tuck her in at night, but you will always have good memories of the time you spent
together”.
Some time later, Ani’s mom gave her a new doll. This doll was so soft and so pretty that Ani had
to have it. This doll didn’t look like Sally because she wasn’t Sally. Ani missed Sally, and will
always love her, but that didn’t mean Ani couldn’t love this new doll too.
Sally never really left Ani because of the good memories they shared together. Ani missed Sally
sometimes, but her mom told her that it was okay to be sad. But Ani was never alone. Ani had
her mom, and she had other friends to make her happy like her new doll. Ani smiled more than
she cried because she knew she was loved. Ani was and never will be alone even if she
sometimes feels like she is.