Comfort Items
What was your comfort item as a child?
Or did you even have one?
If you have read this blog a few times, I am sure you can guess which side of the page I fall on here. Before I was born a few pieces of flannel were sewn together to make a small blanket. Believe it or not, I still have it, sort of. Maybe the spirit of it would be a better description. Perhaps I should explain.
I will turn 43 this year, and I still sleep with this blanket. It has been recovered, envelope style many times. It is lumpy now, probably due to the layers of flannel within that are breaking down from a combination of love and sleeping on. I doubt that the original flannel is actually still in there in any recognizable form. It has probably long deteriorated, or it could just be a collection of a few strings caught up with other layers of flannel.
I don't carry the blanket everywhere I go, and the outer layers are in pretty good shape. It's soft and surprisingly hefty. For the most part, I use it in the place of a combination pillow, eye mask, and sound-canceling headphones kind of thing. It also helps me sleep.
We moved a lot growing up, and moving companies aren't always the most careful. Many of my things were lost in moves, misplaced due to being a kid who doesn't always keep track of things very well, or for any number of reasons. I still have this blanket though. I can't see myself getting rid of it anytime soon.
For some people, their comfort item may not be an item they have had since birth. For my son, it's a ring that was passed down to him by my grandfather. My daughter has a stuffed reindeer that she sleeps with every night. I have heard that for some it can be a keychain, a favorite pair of socks, or a cup. I have a friend that keeps soft, round rocks in his pockets to turn over when his anxiety gets to him. I would say that while the item itself has its importance, the effect it has is where the impact lies.
We all get overwhelmed from time to time, and if there is an item that calms you, isn't that a good thing? Having something that can comfort, something you can rely on, that has to be a win. Over the years, when people have discovered that I have this blanket there have been some inquiries about my mental health (I think I am ok as the rest of you), some about the hygiene of the blanket (it is washed frequently, and it smells like fabric softener), and what my husband thinks (he doesn't mind it, it stays on my side, and he has used it to block out light from time to time).
I think comfort items fall under the "let people like things" umbrella. It might not be your thing, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. And if it helps me from completely losing my mind from time to time, that is a good thing for all of us.
One of the joys of having kids is when they "discover" a song that you love. Earlier this week my son was sort of humming a tune and then asked me if I knew the name. Turns out he had the song Brand New Key by Melanie in his head.
He picked it up from watching a lip sync battle between Jimmy Fallon and Melissa McCarthy (I am going to pause here and tell you to watch it if you haven't). The song was released in 1971 and eventually became #1 on the Billboard "hot 100 singles" music charts. Known as the "Roller Skate Song" the song was produced by Melanie's husband. The singer later claimed that the possible innuendos that work throughout the song were unintentional.
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