The Magic Blue Blanket

Is there a “thing” in your life, which has brought comfort, possesses healing powers, and simply warm memories? For me and my kids, this “thing” is our Magic Blue Blanket.

It all began in the early 1980’s; I was a young mom with three babies all under the age of 5. My mom thought a nice Christmas gift for me would be an electric blanket. Nay, nay….they frighten me. My second worst nightmare was having this blanket catch fire, as a result my babies and I would perish. My Mom of course would be charged with arson (it’s my dream) no happy ending here, folks. BTW, my number one nightmare as a young mom…my car stalling on the railroad tracks with the babies strapped in car seats in the back. Nay, nay…I avoid all routes which involve crossing a RR track. Speaking of tracks, back to the Blue Blanket…. By the 26th of December, I had removed all of the wiring which was easy to grab and pull. Hence, I wound up with a blanket destined to unravel sooner than later.

Sorry, Mom.

So here it is…wintertime with three babies catching colds, stomach ailments and general “being baby” actions which involve body fluids exiting their little bodies. The Blue Blanket became the recipient of all discharges. What the heck, throw it in the wash and it is ready and waiting for the next sick child. With time, it became learned behavior…if one is to feel sick, grab the Blue Blanket. This being said, being the mom of impressionable young minds, with an outlandish imagination… I told my children that if we snuggle in the Blue Blanket its magic powers would make them feel better. Of course, they were amazed. It never failed! Every time they felt sick…all they had to do was release some bile and Cheerios into the Blue Blanket and *Presto* they felt better.


OK… one might think as these babies grew into tikes and teens, the Magic Blue Blanket would fall by the wayside. Nay, nay. When John was 9 years old, he had his tonsils removed. Seven days later, some of the scabs made an untimely exit with the help of a sneeze. John began to vomit blood into the Blue Blanket, of course. He was rushed by ambulance to the ER; his blood pressure had dropped to a dangerous level. He was terrified. I was beside myself with fear. Obviously, he survived and so did his mom. He gave credit to the Magic Blue Blanket and who was I to deny it.


So it goes….. If there was illness, the Magic Blue Blanket was summoned for healing. My dad received a lung transplant... while he recovered; I sat with him, holding his hand with a piece of the Blue Blanket in our folded hands. He survived for five years with his new lung, until as my dad put it “Those damn shingles” ended his battle. I suppose even the Magic Blue Blanket has its limits.


Down the road… a girlfriend knocks on my front door one afternoon. As I open the door, I see pain in her eyes. Standing in the doorway, she told me she needed three things from me; a hug, a cup of tea and a piece of the Magic Blue Blanket. Not knowing what was going on, I did as she asked… she took the piece of Blue Blanket and placed it under her shirt. She told me has Breast Cancer. We cried, hugged and sipped tea. The piece of Blue blanket was sewn into a quilt she took to the hospital. For seven years, she has remained cancer-free. Until this summer. Immediately upon hearing this horrible news, I mailed a card which included a piece of the Blue Blanket. She sewed this small piece of fabric into a new healing quilt. The surgeons feel as though they removed all of the cancer...


There you have it… a small glimpse of a big “thing”. So many times the Magic Blue Blanket has served us well. It is tattered and torn. It has oodles of little squares cut from its edges. It has been given to many friends in times of need. I carry a piece of Magic Blue Blanket in my back-pack on every trip. By no means does the Magic Blue Blanket replace the power of God, the power of prayer or the power of friendship… it is only a “thing”. But it is our “thing”…our Magic Blue Blanket.




What is your Magic Blue Blanket?