A boy and his blanket

Quiltie is finally retiring. He has been a comfort and companion for the past eight years. He first belonged to The Professor who made himself a nest to sleep in every night out of his Quiltie and his Bapple blanket. He has been forged into a fort, plumped into a pillow and saved the world on the backs of any number of superheroes. BigBoy took a fancy to him when he was tiny. The Professor's feet had long grown out of Quiltie's protection. BigBoy dubbed him the "Go Nigh-Night" and we wouldn't dare put him to bed without it. Earlier in the winter, he even insisted that he no longer needed the services of his winter coat...Go Nigh-Night would protect him from the bitterest cold. Yes...I thought I was going to have to turn the thing into a sports coat and no... BigBoy's real name is not Linus... yet.

He brought it to me the other day, with a sadness that touched my heart. He looked up at me with his beautiful hazel eyes looking for reassurance and comfort. Go Nigh-Night, Mommy. It's broken!

Yes, sweetie. Go Nigh-Night has been broken for a long time only... you didn't seem to notice, little man. You thought it was indestructible. Maybe because it belonged to the older brother you idolize. Perhaps you thought it was Daddy's superhero cape that he lent you every night to keep you safe and warm. You have learned this lesson too soon in my eyes. ...Unsinkable ships sink. Unbreakable walls break... Little one, the things of this world are frail and fragile. They can be gone in an instant.

When something seems broken, I hope you know you can always come to me. I may not be able to patch all your fears, but I will try to turn you toward our perfect mother in Heaven and her Son. They shall be our guides to that final journey's end where Go Nigh-Nights never grow worn.

I made an exact replica. Same colors (only brighter), same batting (only fluffed), same layout and arrangement. I think he likes it. He said it was fixed. He even called it "Go Nigh-Night". But something is different. Something has changed. Does he believe that mommy can make everything better or has he learned not to trust what he once thought he could rely on? I pray that he never loses faith in the only Truth he can truly rely on.

Just before bed he looked at his new blanket and asked me Can you break it, Mom? He wants it to be his old blanket soft and smooth, but it just isn't. And I can't fix that.

And Jesus beholding, said to them: With men this is impossible:
but with God all things are possible. Matt. 19:26