Her Prized Possession

My eight year old daughter is like any other. She's got every color nail polish, Monster High Doll, Barbie and well...she's got a ton. Despite her collection there is nothing more coveted, more loved than a 7 year old faded "daddy blankie". At 8 she still says blankie. I've always known how much she liked it but this week it got misplaced while packing and she cried for hours. I tore the house apart searching. When I found it we all breathed a sigh of relief. I know now just how important it is to her. It is her most prized possession.

What's a daddy blankie?

In 2008 when my husband was preparing for the first deployment since my youngest two had been born, the ASYMCA was offering kids of those deploying a small quilt with pictures of them and their daddies printed on fabric. The idea was to have daddy close while he was so very far away. I ordered one for each of the kids. They came and were quite beautiful. Kira had just turned one at the time and it didn't mean that much to her at first.

As she grew she kept that blanket. She held it close through three more deployments and three more homecomings.  She had it when he retired from the Marines in 2013 and we drove cross country to settle in our home town.

It laid close to her sweet sleeping face the night her father took his life.

She had it the day I told her that daddy was in heaven and no he would not be coming home from this deployment.

I had no idea when I got that blanket where life would take us. I had no idea that would be all she has left of her dad.

She told me recently when she is scared she holds that blanket and talks to her dad. That comforts her. It's calming to have him right there.

I don't think the quilters had any idea what a gift they gave my kids. There is no way, no words to express how grateful I am to them. Their kind gesture keeps him close to her while he's so far away.

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