My Baby Blanket

by Kelly Pennington

When I was born, my mom brought me home from the hospital wrapped in a baby blanket that had been made as a gift by someone from church.  The blanket had pictures of animals on one side in pastel colors of blue, green, pink, yellow, and purple.  The other side was made of a very soft, white material.  There was a pink ruffle all around the edges of the blanket.  It was absolutely perfect and it became my security throughout the years.

Anytime that I was sad, scared, or tired my blanket gave me comfort.  I would sit with it, suck my thumb, and rub the corner of the blanket.  I carried my blanket around with me everywhere I went during my younger years.  My blanket became so worn on one side that my babysitter replaced the soft, white side with a different material.  This material was not as soft and I did not like it as much.  By this time, most of the pink ruffle had fallen off of the edges.  Everyone always knew which corner of the blanket was my favorite because it was more worn than the other corners.

As I grew older, my blanket stayed on my bed where I always knew it would be if I needed it.  Later, the blanket was placed in my closet where it stayed until I took it out for this project.  As I look at the blanket, I think about all of the times that I slept with it and found comfort in it.  The blanket is no longer fresh and new and it no longer has the comforting smell that I remember, but I am glad that I still have my baby blanket and that I will be able to share it with my children one day.