My Pink Blanket

For me, happiness and comfort is sometimes synonymous with my pink blanket.

Last night, Brittney and I were huddled under it for warmth while attempting to walk to Carol's car. We have this problem with walking in sync, and with distinguishing right from left, so this walk was quite an adventure. (An actual Brittney quote: "No, your FAR left!") As we stumbled madly around, a friend who we were walking with warned us that the blanket was dragging on the ground and in serious danger of getting dirty. But I replied to him, "This blanket has been through so much...it really doesn't care anymore." He simply gave me one of those "you're insane" looks and continued on, but eventually commented again that he felt sorry for the blanket.

But I think there's really no reason for him to be sorry for the blanket. My pink blanket is one of my most prized possessions, but it didn't become that way because it was protected from the dirt of Bender Fields. The reason I love that blanket is because I look at it and see all the memories contained in it.

It used to be Audrey's or Lydia's blanket on their bed, but when they got a new comforter, I took possession of it for extra warmth on winter nights. Since then, it has been used for so many purposes and become something which contains many of my best memories. I'll list a few here.

• Tanning and reading with my sisters
• Playing various insane games on the trampoline
• Trying to fly
• Many, many picnics
• Stargazing
• Every church campout
• Football games, cheering on the Trojans
• Watching "The Best of Will Ferrell" on my cousins' dock
• Softball games
• Curled up reading on the couch
• Playing Speed in the trailer with Brittney
• Napping in the sun at the "VanLiew Campout"
• Sleepovers...getting scared out of our wits by imagining noises outside the trailer
• Sitting on the Tennant Lake boardwalk with Brittney, talking, reading our Bibles and dreaming
• Singing and talking around campfires
• Long roadtrips and late-night rides in the car
• Revive girls' Bible study sitting on it
• Sitting in the WCC courtyard with my friends
• Of course, trying to walk huddled underneath

I love how my blanket smells after it's been washed...I dry it in the sun and it smells like a mixture of detergent, fresh air, and sunlight. When I curl up in it, I think of all the fun memories I've made with it, the serious discussions and moments of wild laughter it has seen. I am reminded again of God's grace to me in giving me such wonderful friends and family.