Thomas’ Blankie

Thomas’ Blankie

Does your child have a special toy, blanket or comfort item?
Have you ever lost it?

You know the panic and the stress. That was our Christmas vacation.

Thomas (6) has a special crocheted blankie made for him when he was a baby by my dear friend, Juanita.

It started when Thomas was about 10 months old. He was lying in his crib, looking up at me, and kept scrunching his fingers in the air. I had no idea what he was doing any why. Then, it finally dawned on me. He wanted the blanket so he could put his fingers through the holes and suck his thumb.

This became known as “KEE” (blankie) and came everywhere with us – from Toronto to across the Maritimes. From Charlottetown to Moncton, Cape Breton and beyond. It came on planes, trains and automobiles – and ferries. It is his beloved treasure.

That is, until we lost it.

The fateful night was December 30. We went to a party at my mom’s house (an 8 minute drive away) and Thomas brought blankie. He put it on the chair in the porch, patted it twice and said, “for safety” and ran off to play.

That is our last memory.

Later that night, my husband carried Thomas to the car (who hadn’t worn a jacket) and wrapped him up in a blanket in the car. While doing so, he put the car keys on the roof of the car. He went to get into his own car. As I was driving off, I saw him flagging me down. He grabbed the keys off the roof.

Fast forward to the next day. We were about to watch a movie and Thomas asked for blankie. That’s when we realized… we couldn’t find it!

This started the mad search for the next 5 days. We tore the house apart. We searched in every nook and cranny, under every cushion, and in every closet. My mom tore her house apart. We contacted every neighbour who was at the party. We called every store that we had been to that morning.

We played the scenario out a hundred times – working through it scientifically, methodically, trying to evoke memories.

 

I even thought of becoming a Catholic so I could pray to St. Anthony – the Patron Saint of Lost Things!

Nothing worked. The only scenario we could think of was that David had left it on the roof of the car with the keys and it had blown off while driving. We drove the road many times, carefully scanning the ditches.
Nothing.

None of us could sleep. Thomas missed blankie. We couldn’t figure it out. It wasn’t so much the emotional attachment to blankie – Thomas has since stopped sucking his thumb and is outgrowing his “need” for blankie, so isn’t as hyper vigilant about knowing where it is.

It was more an annoying puzzle that we couldn’t work out!
“Give up and you’ll find it,” said my mother.
But we couldn’t.

Then, 5 days later, we were hashing it out again. Wondering how we would tell my friend that we had lost blankie! We had formally agreed to give up.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, right in front of me did suddenly appear – under the beanbag chair in the family room – was something I thought looked like a tag. I pulled on it.

It was blankie!!

We both screamed. We hugged. We cried. I couldn’t breathe.
Yes, it was that dramatic!

We tore upstairs, shook Thomas awake to give him blankie (which he had no memory of from the night before) and called to let everyone know. The lost had been found.

Now, we will not let it out of our sight, and it won’t be leaving the house!

Many parents have told me similar stories. Others say that they always have a duplicate item as back up or in rotation (hard with a handmade gift, though!).
But, it’s a story that many can relate to!

We will all sleep easy …. Until it happens again!