I Had An Imaginary Friend

When I was four I had an imaginary friend, her name was Mrs Minimini. She lived in our coat closet at home. This was a cool coat closet because it went on and on forever( well it seemed that way to a four year old). I would go in there and play with her. We would have tea parties, I would bring all my stuffed animals into the closet to play. My brothers would make fun of my, I would cry and scream, " SHE IS real, she is!!!!!". My brothers were heartless and made fun of me. My mom was very supportive of me and felt it was ok because my cousin Susie also had an imaginary friend named Joe Honkus, he lived under their coffee table. Susie was 7 years older than me and one day Joe Honkus just left.

The day aft I started second grade I stopped playing in the closet and spent time with a new girl who moved in across the street. We had fun, it was fun playing with a real person. By Christmas I had made a Santa candy dish for my momfor Christmas. I made another one out of left over scrapes that the teacher had given me. When asked my my mom who this was for, I replied it was for mrs Minimini to bring to her daughters for the holidays. I continued to play with my new real friend every day but I felt guilty I was not in the closet with mrs. Miniminini. Then one day it was decided(by me) that mrs mimimimi had decided to move tomflorida to live ith her daughter

I was not sad, I did not cry, I just kinda accepted it. Over the years since her move I have spoken of her. When I bought my first home with my husband I thought of all the places she could live in that huge house. Now I live in a small condo and still have closets I would love to have her live in. I wonder if she would like beagles. Or if it would bother her I would be gone most of the day?? I have not spent any time with mrs Minimini in 45 years. I do feel I know her, I feel sheis a good person, I know she loves me and totaly u derstood my relationship with the real person I met.
I have thought often of asking mrs Minimini to Come back to new england, I thought about reminding her how boring it can be. I am nearly 50 years old now and I have never, not once opened that coat closet without thinkif my dear friend who played with me every day.

It is always amazing that alot of the most influential woman in my life who I have really connected with have been older woman. They were real people, mrs powers, ms Radcliffe, mrs Mackey, mrs Kelley, Judy WOJCIK, Diane Guidicianne.......all older woman who possess the qualities of my mrs minimini

I wonder what she looks like. I imagined her as a slight woman, with blond hair. I imagined should let me sit other lap anytime I wanted. I know she loved cats and tea. I know she enjoyed the company of girls over boys. This was clear the day I invited my brother Ernie in for tea. His legs were long and knocked over the trinkets in mrs miniminis house in the closet. After Ernie left mrs miminimimnin said she felt he was not welcome back again............

One day at the start of third grade