When my wonderful wife and I met in college, we didn't much like each other, although we had some common friends. The next year we began to talk, and became closer friends -- indeed, best friends.
Months, and lots of long talks, went by. Eventually, after much prayer and thought, we decided romance was our next step. Now -- much later -- we celebrated our 28th anniversary in January 2006.
Now, Joyce has always liked Raggedy Ann, “the doll with a heart;” and it so happened that as a little kid I had a Raggedy Andy (still do) that I had pretty much loved to death. So one day I was thinking about Raggedy Ann and Andy, and how they were so obviously MEANT to be together.
Then I thought, “What if Ann and Andy met, but didn’t know right at first that they were, indeed, made for each other?” When I realized that the same situation had applied to Joyce and me in college, I retold their story as ours had happened. This poem is the result:
Ann and Andy
Raggedy Andy was feeling undandy,
Felt empty and lonely and cold.
His world wasn't so great – how he wanted a mate --
Empty toyboxes, they get so old.
So he searched in the eyes of the dollies he met;
He'd been looking so long, hadn't found her just yet.
Oh what could this poor rag doll do?
Raggedy Ann, sure she wanted a man,
But she hadn't found her counterpart.
So she went off to school, wond'ring was she a fool
To hope somebody wanted her heart.
And she met one or two, but they didn’t feel right;
So she stuck with her girlfriends, and wondered at night
Just what could this poor rag doll do?
Then Annie and Andy ran into each other --
Became such good friends, like a sister or brother.
So Andy helped Annie to look for a man,
"And I'll find a girl for you, Andy," said Ann.
Still they joked, had long talks, and they went on long walks --
Didn't feel so alone any more --
Still they felt undiscovered, each wanted a lover --
What else were their lonely hearts for?
So they begged the Toymaker to show them the way.
They were shocked when he laughed, and they both heard him say
"Don't you know it, my children? I made you for you.
Now your friendship will grow and make one out of two.
Don't you know all your loneliness comes to an end
When you grow into lovers, who started out friends?"
Now Raggedy Andy loves Raggedy Ann, and he
Thanks the Toymaker each day.
Now the toybox is busy, sometimes it gets dizzy,
But their hearts always show them the way.
And when angry words threaten to tear us apart
I remember "I love you" is there on my heart;
Because that's what we poor rag dolls do
When I shared this with Joyce, and she smiled and then said the thing that did the old Twilight Zone “bum-bum-BUM!” down my spine. She simply reminded me of something I had not even considered when writing the poem -- her middle name is Ann, and that my middle name is Andrew. So, “meant to be” applies to more than rag dolls, I guess.
Months, and lots of long talks, went by. Eventually, after much prayer and thought, we decided romance was our next step. Now -- much later -- we celebrated our 28th anniversary in January 2006.
Now, Joyce has always liked Raggedy Ann, “the doll with a heart;” and it so happened that as a little kid I had a Raggedy Andy (still do) that I had pretty much loved to death. So one day I was thinking about Raggedy Ann and Andy, and how they were so obviously MEANT to be together.
Then I thought, “What if Ann and Andy met, but didn’t know right at first that they were, indeed, made for each other?” When I realized that the same situation had applied to Joyce and me in college, I retold their story as ours had happened. This poem is the result:
Ann and Andy
Raggedy Andy was feeling undandy,
Felt empty and lonely and cold.
His world wasn't so great – how he wanted a mate --
Empty toyboxes, they get so old.
So he searched in the eyes of the dollies he met;
He'd been looking so long, hadn't found her just yet.
Oh what could this poor rag doll do?
Raggedy Ann, sure she wanted a man,
But she hadn't found her counterpart.
So she went off to school, wond'ring was she a fool
To hope somebody wanted her heart.
And she met one or two, but they didn’t feel right;
So she stuck with her girlfriends, and wondered at night
Just what could this poor rag doll do?
Then Annie and Andy ran into each other --
Became such good friends, like a sister or brother.
So Andy helped Annie to look for a man,
"And I'll find a girl for you, Andy," said Ann.
Still they joked, had long talks, and they went on long walks --
Didn't feel so alone any more --
Still they felt undiscovered, each wanted a lover --
What else were their lonely hearts for?
So they begged the Toymaker to show them the way.
They were shocked when he laughed, and they both heard him say
"Don't you know it, my children? I made you for you.
Now your friendship will grow and make one out of two.
Don't you know all your loneliness comes to an end
When you grow into lovers, who started out friends?"
Now Raggedy Andy loves Raggedy Ann, and he
Thanks the Toymaker each day.
Now the toybox is busy, sometimes it gets dizzy,
But their hearts always show them the way.
And when angry words threaten to tear us apart
I remember "I love you" is there on my heart;
Because that's what we poor rag dolls do
When I shared this with Joyce, and she smiled and then said the thing that did the old Twilight Zone “bum-bum-BUM!” down my spine. She simply reminded me of something I had not even considered when writing the poem -- her middle name is Ann, and that my middle name is Andrew. So, “meant to be” applies to more than rag dolls, I guess.
