Getting to The Ruth of the Matter

So began the journey of finding a doll manufacturer.Walk into just about any store in the U.S. and there are shelves and shelves of dolls on display, so we figured this couldn’t be too hard could it? We had only a few criteria on this maiden voyage, but we were adamant that we would produce a doll made in the United States. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before this criteria came crashing against reality. Doll makers in the U.S are few and far between unfortunately. The majority that we were able to find dealt more closely with collectibles rather than play dolls, which was our interest. After scouring the internet for a doll manufacturer (I told you I liked to clean), we found one that seemed ideal. The doll that we had decided on was an absolutely delightful doll and it was love at first sight for us. Of course it was this bond that kept us holding on to this dream long after it was obvious that we could not produce it. I only buy dolls for my daughters, not manufacture them so of course all of this was foreign to me (pun not intended). I was so excited to find a doll that was perfect for what we wanted. I just didn’t know that when I ordered SEVERAL dolls they would come UNASSEMBLED! Clothes and wig not included! Have you ever received a gift and in fine print it says, “Batteries not included.” Of course you have, especially at Christmas! Doll heads and limbs are lying helplessly in black plastic bags in our attic.

Of course these lovely dolls are put away for now but not forgotten. They will one day be linked to the loving arms of a child through charitable giving. This episode in Ruth’s journey was the focus of many laughs with friends. We concluded it was time to go back to the drawing board. In the meantime, Dan was moving right along with writing the children’s book, The Story of Ruth Through A Child’s Eyes. He was in his own world trying to decide whether to self-publish or find a publisher when we came to this crossroad. We wanted to produce the doll in the US, but it was clear that we needed to look elsewhere outside of the US. Anyone here speak German or Chinese?

Watch for the next episode of Ruth’s Journey on Thursday. Like us on Facebook.com/TheFreedomGirls and we will post reminders. Leave a comment on this blog and share with us those dreams you’ve had that died hard at your crossroads. Join the Discussion !!!