How long could I possibly have this?

When I was two, my parents got me a big girl bed and a suitably sized comforter to go on it. It was a Sesame Street blanket. All the characters. I have no idea how it made it to my 12th birthday but it did. It was long replaced off my bed but the blanket went into the closet to be brought out on sick days, like when I got the chicken pox. I was supposed to go to a big swim meet that weekend and ended up covered in calamine lotion instead. I was miserable. I insisted on wearing my bathing suit all day one day and sat myself in the middle of this blanket on the floor and cried in misery because it would have, for sure, been the first time I would beat my arch nemesis, Nikki, at the 200 meter breaststroke.

When I went off to college, it came with me. There was just no question about it. It was beat up but so well used it was better than any old pair of jeans you could possibly imagine. Soft. Cool when you need it cool and warm when you don't. It must have it own thermic qualities than could never be duplicated.

It has been photo graphed over and over again. I can't even say the number of photos it has been in. And, it's been a source of serious consolation over the years. When my daughter was mere weeks old and waking up at 4:30 in the morning, I would wrap both of us up in it and hit the couch to watch the sun come up. It's 31 years old and I'm sitting curled up under it right now. Needless to say, if my house was on fire and I could grab one thing, this blanket might just be it.

Tonight it serves the purpose of relaxation therapy. It was the first thing I grabbed after coming home from dinner. Threw it on the couch, lit the fireplace, threw in the first season of West Wing and I am fully convinced that life does not get better than this. There is a very large yellow lab, who may have reached a break through in learning the word "stay" laying on the floor to my side. I have, of course, forgotten once again, to get more coffee and peppermint Schnapps. However, it does occur to me that I may have ALL of the makings for homemade egg nog. That would be the proverbial cherry on top of the sundae. Please excuse me. I'm off to the cupboard.

Comments

[Jenny Ryan]

Mmm, sounds very cozy :)

[LovebabzL]

A new blanket /comforter $75 gas to drive to the big box store where they sell blanket/comforters $1 million. A sense of comfort and joy and history and love...priceless. Enjoy your comforting touchstone of a blankie.
Love.
Babz

[kellypea]

I loved this post. Although any blanket similar in my live is long gone, my almost thirty year old has an old brown plaid blanket he's kept since he was five that stays in his car in case he ends up needing to sleep on a friend's sofa. And my 15 year old has one he inherited from my middle son who also had an attachment to it. He won't let me wash it. But I get it.

[Nicole]

I still have my favorite childhood sheets in my new house on a shelf I can see them. I have only stopped using my blanket so the child can't touch it.