Dear Blankie

Dear Blankie,

I want to thank you. You have been T’s constant companion pretty much since he was born. You were the cover that kept him warm. When I first saw you, you were just part of a giant crib set with many pieces. Really, I didn’t give you much thought. You were one piece of a big puzzle.

But somehow you became T’s favorite thing. Ever. I tried replacing you with stuffed animals, rotating other blankets, but each one was greeted with enthusiasm and then quickly put away in favor of you.

You went with T to day care, a comfort to him when he wasn’t around mom and dad all day. You’d go with him on trips to grandparents and aunts and uncles.

I tried to find a twin for you. I really did. But we must’ve gotten the last of that pattern and your importance made it that much more vital that we never lose you.

You’ve traveled throughout Texas and the Midwest. We once had a scare that we left you behind, but luckily that didn’t end up being the case.

At first you didn’t seem to be very cuddly. But now you stand limp, your stuffing slowly seeping out through the years. You’ve even shrunk in the past eight years—an attempt to fix ragged edges and keep as much filling in as possible. Even though we no longer have babies around our house, I kept the crib set just in case I have to piece together a quilt from the material of all the other pieces. That’s how important you are to us.

Blankie, you’ve put up with a lot of abuse. You’ve been chewed on, stomped on, pulled on, pooped on, thrown up on and washed up. You’ve been a blanket, a pillow, a cape, a tent, and something to drag around.

Blankie as a place to hide

The day is coming where you will be more lint than blanket. And I know T. will miss you. I will do my best to keep some part of you for him to carry in his wallet somewhere—a tiny reminder of a constant companion and comfort.

And while you’re still mostly one piece, I want you to know how much I appreciate you. Even today you crop up when T is stressed and in need of something familiar.

Thank you Blankie. You’ve done your job well.

Sincerely,

An Appreciative Mom

Reace Alvarenga-Smith is a Public Relations Manager for Texas Health Resources and Mom of two.