I originally bought the doll – thanks, Army Of Good – for Alice, she had been admiring the others she saw. When I brought her the doll, she hesitated, and then looked at me, and said she was sorry, but she didn’t it was something she wanted.

I was surprised, as were the aides, we all thought Alice would be a natural for a comfort doll. Then she took my arm and smiled, and told me how many children she had, and I realized she just didn’t the responsibility of taking care of another one.

I laughed, it made perfect sense to me, and I would never pressure her or anyone else into taking something like that if she wasn’t sure. I learned Friday at Bingo that Ellen, who greatly appreciates her comfort doll, gave an old doll she  had to Peggie, who was happy to get it.

I don’t think it means the same thing to Peggie as it does to the others, but we’ll see.

I thought right away of Mary, a shy and usually very quiet resident.

Red and I have gotten to know her well, we often sit with her in her room and talk.

One of her cats died shortly after she moved into the Mansion, and she still misses her. She was also grieving the death of one of the parakeets a couple of months ago. (Megan, one of the aides, took both parakeets home to her house for the winter, the hallway was just too cold for them, they’ll be back in the Spring. Life in the Mansion is never static. Mary, who cares for the birds, thought it was a good idea.)

I sensed Mary has been lonely, and a bit down, so I went out into the hallway with her and showed her the baby and she smiled and took it in her arms and said very softly, “yes, I would really like that, and thank you so much.”

She took it right to her room.

So that is, I think, the last of the comfort dolls for now, but there are seven in the Mansion, and they are all much loved. They  have, I believe, provided great comfort and purpose to the women who have them.

I’ve given a comfort dog to two men, and neither has said a word about them, I think they would be embarrassed, but the aides tell me the dogs are close by their beds in their rooms.

I will monitor how these dollars are being used and certainly look for any side effects – obsession, anxiety. So far, they are a great success, and I’m glad they are all in for the holidays. The aides are extremely positive about them, and they are the people I most listen to.

This ends this chapter of our work in the Mansion, as far as I know. The aides and I can’t think of anyone else who would benefit from them. Thanks once more for making this possible. You have done a lot of good.

Some interesting facts about the dolls: they are never brought to the dining room, and never brought to activities in the Activity Room or the Great Room. The residents who have them all feel they are safest in their own bedrooms when they have to go out. Two have asked me for  bassinets for the dolls to sleep in, they worry about rolling over onto them.