How typical! Of course the one with Russian parents would come up with the cliche idea of Matryoshka dolls. I chose these because when my mom came to the United States from Belarus in 1991, all she had with her were a few shirts, $20, and matryoshka dolls. These dolls were what I played with growing up as a kid, and I still remember getting yelled whenever I would lose a piece, as these dolls were sacred to my mother. I have come to realize that the nesting dolls represent my mother's ties to her homeland and the family she left behind. The meaning of the dolls is more than sentimental; the symbolism is powerful because the dolls themselves have painted on them several different members of a family. Today, what remains of the dolls sits on a table right by the front entry door of the apartment. My mom and myself are proud to show it off to all guests and visitors--most of whom comment on them for being cute. But the dolls are so much more than cute. They are a part of my mother and now myself.

– Kyle Blidy

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