This morning when I got out of my car, I saw a crumpled up little pink blanket in the road. I picked it up and shook out the dirt and debris it had collected, noting the torn satin edges and little embroidered bear on the front. Now, it could have been nothing. It could have been something someone snagged from Goodwill to pad some furniture they moved. Or maybe it did belong to a baby and fell from a car while he was being buckled in, and the baby was too young to care or even notice.
But in my mind, all I could think about when I was little and forced my Dad to drive 2 hours back to the lake after our vacation because I had discovered, to my horror, that I had left Doggy behind. And I’m pretty sure I cried desperately non-stop until I had Doggy back in my arms (thank you, Dad!)
So, this blanket…I was unsure of the best course of action, so I just folded it up and left it on the back of my car, so that it would be in easy view and out of the road. When I left work, the blanket was gone. Sure, anyone could have just strolled up and taken it, but in my mind I like to believe I saved a panicky parent from facing a child with the possibility that Blankie was perma-lost.
I hope it found its way home!