The Significance Of A Blanket

By Sarah

A blanket can be knitted, woven, quilted, crocheted or created  in other ways. According to The Merriam-Webster dictionary, a blanket can have at least 7 different  definitions, there are nouns, verbs and adjectives.  In this story we need only one of those definitions, which is a noun, meaning “a large usually oblong piece of woven fabric…”

When our children were babies, we swaddled each child in a blanket for comfort and to help them sleep.  As our children grew older and graduated from a crib to a bed , we tucked the blanket around them while we said goodnight.  In my house blankets were used for play time as well.  Sometimes, when our kids were toddlers, we would have them lie on a blanket, and my husband and I took the corners at each end.  We would swing which ever child was in the blanket back and forth.  They loved the feeling of swaying  in the covering, always begging for more.  Elaborate forts were made with bed sheets, but when the sheets ran out, a blanket was needed.   Now days our blankets are primarily used to keep us warm, either in bed or while we sit in front of the TV.

I never gave the significance of a blanket much thought or the stories our blankets carry, until recently. Shortly after this past  Christmas, a week after I launched this blog, I took two of my daughters to upstate NY.  One of our days was spent in Corning, NY where we visited The Rockwell Museum; this is a  museum featuring art about the American Experience. The piece that I related to the most was called Blanket Stories: Western Door, Salt Sacks, and Three Sisters, by  an artist  named Marie Watt; this piece of art is a blanket column.

Each blanket was contributed by families throughout Western New York State. On every blanket is a tag telling someone’s “blanket story”.  I was so enthralled by  this idea, that I reached out to the artist to get permission to connect her work to my blog.  Last week I heard from Marie’s Studio project Manager, Stephanie Sun, giving me permission to connect the idea.  I was also given consent to use the picture from Marie’s website on “Tell Me Your Story”. 

When I think of the blankets that are important to me, I think of my children. Here are my blanket Stories:

My eldest child was born about six months after her father and I separated.  She was not the best sleeper and I hoped to have a blanket which would help her sleep more easily, wherever she was. I found an old baby quilt somewhere, perhaps my parent’s house or our family cottage.

I thought I was told it had belonged to me.  My mother does not remember who this quilt belonged to, so its origins remain a  mystery.  Eventually my ex-husband found a blanket or stuffed animal for our daughter to hold on to while she slep. when this happened, the quilt stayed at my house. For at least the first few years of her life, whatever place my first-born and I went, the quilt traveled with us.

My second born was a good sleeper.  At some point early on, she  was  given a soft  blue baby blanket. 

The blanket went everywhere with us.  Along with her little dog, Ruff, this blanket was her comfort. Both the blanket and dog were worn with years of love.  When our life imploded a few years back, she put these two loved items in a garbage bag.  My youngest child, went through the bag to see what treasures were being given away.  After going through the bags, my third born handed me Ruff and the blue blanket saying, “these things should be kept.”

Now the quilt my eldest used, sits on a shelf in my closet.  Across the way, Ruff and the blue blanket sit in a box on another shelf. I don’t know if any of these items will be loved again by someone, but I can’t bear to part with them.

 I think of my youngest child as the blanket lover.  As a very young child, whenever we went to a store that carried blankets she immediately wanted one; this hasn’t changed much. She loves the soft and plush blankets.  Recently,  she told me that she was freezing when she went to bed. One by one, she layered the blankets on top of her. By the time she was finished with the layers, she had 12 blankets on on top .  Although I find it hard to believe she had this many  blankets, it is possible.

The blanket my youngest child says she loves the most, has hearts. The hearts on this blanket are solid red in the middle, with pink surrounding the red and then finally white encompassing the whole heart. The heart blanket is one she bought herself, many years ago; it is now somewhat thread bare with holes, but still used and loved.

Blankets may be significant because of a story or a history they have. Think about the blankets in your house.  What do blankets represent to you?  Are they used purely to keep you warm or are they used for something else? Is there a blanket that is special to you? Tell me your blanket story.