Girlhood is something that I look back on a lot as a college student. It reminds me of simpler times, when life wasn’t about getting a career and finding life goals. Girlhood was a time to unite with your besties on the playground and gossip on the gymnastic bars (IFYKY). As I have been thinking more and more about girlhood, I have thought about the items that really shaped what it meant to be a child, and with that, girlhood in general.Â
When I was really young, I wasn’t into the typical girly items, like lip gloss, nail polish, and hair accessories. However, there was one thing that I did cherish as a little girl, and those were my earrings. I grew up in a semi-traditional Portuguese household, which meant that all of us girls got our ears pierced before we could even remember. I cannot remember if I was pierced with these earrings or if I was given them by a family member, since I was too young to remember getting pierced at all, but what I do remember was the kind of earring I had. I had these supper small gold hoops with a little gold heart dangling from the center. They were small, but they were that little touch that gave me a sparkle when I felt down. My mom would always blow-dry my hair when I washed it, and I always remember seeing and playing with my little earring as it shook from the hot air being blasted. I eventually really got into jewelry and always asked my mom for the stupid neon donut earrings that smelled like strawberries from Claire’s, which she did not let me get. Today, earrings still represent femininity. When I feel like I look like trash, I put on a pair of earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet. Suddenly, the whole mood shifts; I look ten times better. It’s almost like I am carrying a little bit of younger me every time I wear some earrings. I don’t have the earrings that I talked about anymore, but they were really cute, and they live in my mind rent-free. Â
As time went on and I began to make friends, a community of girls that became my closest friends emerged, and with that, my next object comes into play: friendship bracelets. Whether you made breaded ones, string ones, or those really intricate plastic rope ones (please teach me), we all had some form of friendship bracelet growing up, and if you haven’t, message me and I will make you one within 2-3 business days. Making friendship bracelets was more than just the act of crafting; it was an outlet for community and conversation. I remember, around 5th grade, during recess, a couple of friends and I would sit near the door of the cafeteria and bring out some string. From there, we would knot and knot. Eventually, we would even do it during our playdates. That’s how one of my friends and I got super close. Today, I still carry around friendship bracelets. I currently have 10 of them sitting on my vanity, waiting to be worn. Friendship bracelets have turned into a community event, like sharing them at concerts and performances/competitions. It is a tradition that is passed down from girl to girl in the hope of keeping our friendships together, or even just to share something in common. Last summer, my friend and I were driving to practice. As I was picking her up, I passed by some sisters selling lemonade and friendship bracelets. My friend and I looked at each other and turned that car around as fast as possible (safely, of course, because there were children on the street) and bought some Taylor Swift friendship bracelets. I still have the Lover bracelet that I got, and I cherish it dearly because it means that the tradition of girlhood is continuing to be passed down.
Finally, I think one of the most important things that defined my girlhood was the stuffed animals and dolls I carried along the way. Now, I grew up on American Girl Dolls, but I know other brands matched the same essence. These kinds of dolls felt like a creative outlet for the girl I wanted to become. That girl didn’t have to be pretty and pink; it could be someone else, someone like me. I know these types of dolls were meant to look like you, but I had two older sisters who A) both had American Girl Dolls, and B) looked exactly like me. So with that, I did not want there to be a third American Girl Doll with tan skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair. So, being me, I picked out a blonde doll, and I named her Ally (close enough to my actual name). These kinds of toys brought me closer to who I wanted to become because I could express any kind of emotion or identity I wanted. I remember for one of my friend’s birthdays, we went to the American Girl Doll store in our area (sadly it shut down) and had the time of our lives. We got matching dresses for us and our dolls, looked at all of the cool props for our dolls to have, and even got to have lunch with our dolls. On a side note, this restaurant had the BEST strawberry smoothie I have ever had. Today, these dolls represent the personality I have now. Through my symbolic, representative play, I was able to shape who I became through them. Now I still have stuffed animals who keep me company like those dolls did, but my American Girl Doll will always have a special place in my heart.Â
Overall, girlhood is many things; it’s chatting with your friends on the playground, it’s finding what femininity means to you, and it’s even going to the bathroom when you don’t need to just to help out your friend. The objects of our childhood are just the catalysts that shape how we grow into the lovely women we are today. As I think back to my girlhood, I miss it. However, instead of leaning back on it, I use it, and the objects I loved from it to push me towards my future, because I know that’s what little Alyssa would have wanted, or maybe she just wanted a cosmic brownie.Â