The Worry Doll

Cait Winters tells the story of a significant item from her childhood and what it means to her today.

We all have items of personal significance from our childhood that we cherish. Whether you still have the physical item in your possession, or it exists now only in your memory they carry a comforting nostalgia. These items are of course just things. What makes them significant are the emotions, experiences, and people they come to represent.   

My Emotional Attachment to a Doll

I grew up in the '90s, when American Girl Dolls were very popular. My family was lower middle class, living in a multigenerational household with my grandparents. I remember seeing many of my better-off friends with the coveted, (and often pricey) dolls and accessories. I tried to keep up with a small porcelain doll my mother had given to me. I carried the doll around in her portable closet with a few changes of clothes.  

Still, I was fascinated by the beautiful, fancy dolls and the stories behind each character. My mom worked at the post office at the time and would bring home discarded catalogues each month so I could flip through them and dream. I would circle tiny bedrooms and dog ear pages with girls’ clothes to match the dolls. It was well-known that I liked the historical doll Josefina partly because of her gold earrings and the beautiful Mexican culture her stories described.  

My young, loving parents took notice and worked hard to get my own Josefina doll. The dolls came with the first of the book in their series. As a young Catholic myself, I became invested in Josefina’s family and faith traditions. That following Christmas I received accessories for the doll from my grandparents. It came with the Christmas-themed book, a dress and mantilla for Josefina and a small doll which matched, right down to the golden hoops. Her name was Nina and she was a major feature throughout the series.  

A Representation of Faith  

I had remembered my mom telling me about the concept of a worry doll, a small toy you could “tell” your feelings to get them off your chest. Not in a superstitious way, of course, but as a tool for processing big feelings. In the book, Nina is a comfort to Josefina and her sisters after the passing of their mother. When my daughter found my doll, it reminded me of the joy I found in relating to this storybook character and representation of the Catholic faith. It inspired me to read the series with my own children.   

I kept the doll on my dresser from that day on. Recently, my family went through a major health scare with my oldest daughter. She came home after many prayers and weeks in the hospital and has been dealing with a lot of anxiety as she faces a long recovery. I told her my worry doll story and though she, a teen, won’t use it like I did when I was little, she keeps Nina on her desk in her bedroom.  

For Christians, the power of objects of significance lies not in themselves, but the faith, joy, and hope they cause us to recall. For us, Nina is a reminder to pray. She is symbolic of Jesus’ faithfulness to us throughout our lives and the innocence we still can have as eternal children of God. He is a good Father to offer us so many small consolations as we make our way back to Him.  

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Copyright 2025 Cait Winters
Images: Canva