Dear Reader:

Don’t we hate to admit it…but most of us still cling to something that we love so dearly… that it doesn’t matter …even if it is tattered and torn with wear. I think it is called the “Linus Blankie” Syndrome.

I remember as a child I had to have my blue satin pillow case or I could not go to sleep…like Linus I was a thumb sucker and it was the texture (soft and smooth) of the satiny pillow case that lulled me to sleep…a tactile thing.

Jakie is in love with his blankie named “Night Night” for the same reason…its silky feel between his fingers is comforting to him. He also chews on his blankie. (*Eva Cate is pretending to chew on hers…but I think she is poking fun at Jakie…no biting for Eva Cate.)

*Eva Cate has a special pink blanket called “Lil Pinkie” left over from a newborn present she got…that she too looks for every night before she goes to bed. *But when I spend the night and bring “Old Pinkie” I find her nine times out of ten…wrapped up in it asleep when I stay the night over…she really loves “Old Pinkie.” It is so “used” it has a special kind of softness.

*And don’t we know of people who seemed to soften too as time went by in life…by so much love?

Yesterday as I watched Brooke and then me…go running back in the house for our “Old Pinkies” (pink robes) I had to laugh out loud. We simply can’t solve all the world’s problems without our “Old Pinkies.”

We put them on late Sunday afternoon while we talked on the deck and let supper warm. Then after we got home from ‘Eye Zap’ Number 2 Monday morning…the deck was in the shade and it was still cool. Brooke ran to her car to get her robe back out of the trunk and I ran back inside my bedroom to get my robe too.

Brooke’s most famous “blankie” however, is in the form of an old blue cotton nightgown that has been in tatters for decades…Sweet Libby has “operated” on it so much she told Brooke last time…that “Old Blue” couldn’t take any more “surgery.”

My pink robe is getting really “frazzled” looking…threads are popping out and the cuffs that were a little long have gotten so dirty over the years…no cleaning product can touch it. But I think that is the secret…these are our “comfort items” and like “comfort foods” are needed when we have especially challenging days.

I know when I go to get “Old Pinkie” (hanging off the back of the bedroom door) that my day is done…and my reward (to myself) is to sink into its coziness… and feel comfort and joy all at once.

I think our “blankies” in life are a metaphor for the theme of the “Velveteen Rabbit.”

***I love my “Old Pinkie” robe and “Pinkie” you will never be ugly in my eyes because I do understand…you never judge me, criticize me…you simply wrap yourself around me and bring me ‘comfort and joy.’ Thank you my “Blankie.”

The Psychology of Security Blankets

Melody Thomas

(Excerpts)

Do you remember the old Peanuts comics, where Linus carried his security blanket with him everywhere he went? It seemed to give him a sense of security that one would expect from a “security” blanket and if he was out of touch with the blanket, he experienced physical illness as a result. Although the Peanuts comic strip was one that provided us with comedic relief, there may actually be some truth in what was being said. As a matter of fact, it is thought that a child’s use of a security blanket is associated with psychological benefits that begin at a very young age. 

…For years, it was thought that being insecurely attached was what caused the child to be more likely to have a security object, such as a blanket. In more recent studies, however, it has been shown that children may be attached to a blanket or other object, such as a stuffed animal, even if they have properly bonded with their mother. During that test, however, it was determined that regardless of whether the child was secure in his relationship with his mother or if it was insecurely attached, having a security blanket was going to be beneficial. Most children that had security blankets ended up being better adjusted to situations that produce unusual anxiety.

Come on now…’Fess up’! What did you have as a child…and/or now…that is your security blanket? You just heard the doctor…we blankie lovers “are better adjusted to situations that produce unusual anxiety.” (Good thing for that!)

So until tomorrow…“Once you are real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.”  (That’s a relief!)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Look at the difference a little sunshine and time makes…(Left to Right…cloudy Sunday…sunny Monday)