Day Thirty-Seven - Daddy Blankie

E had been in bed for about forty-five minutes tonight when I heard "Daddy!  Can you please bring me Daddy Blankie?"  Allow me to explain.  I have a blanket from my childhood that I really liked.  It's got little childish animals (rabbits, lambs, etc) on it, and it is very soft.  I honestly don't know how I ended up with it (I think it may have been one of my older siblings originally.  Thanks!), but I slept with it every night and kept it in a safe place for my child one day.  Well, it's been E's since she was a baby, and she fondly refers to it as "Daddy Blankie."  She doesn't sleep with it every night (I'd say 75-80% of the time), and she really does a great job of not being over-protective of it.  Still, it is very obvious that out of all of the stuffed animals and blankets she has, this is her security blanket.  On nights like tonight, when her room is dark, and she is feeling alone, she'll call out if she doesn't have it with her.

We've all seen Peanuts and can remember Linus walking around with his blanket.  Just like kids find an object to latch onto for comfort, we can turn food into a security blanket.  I've written on the way my emotions can have a direct effect on what and how much I would eat.  Stressful days or sudden frustrations.  I would turn to all sorts of unhealthy food in large amounts.  Most of the time, I wouldn't even realize I was doing it until I'd downed 2-3000 calories.  It was at these vulnerable times that I would turn to the comfort of food (and it would comfort me with layer after layer of fat).  So my question tonight is what is your security blanket?  What do you turn to when you are stressed, mad, sad, worried, etc?  Maybe you're like me and you turn to junk food or sweets.  Maybe you watch TV or play video games.  Maybe it's good things, like going for a walk or a run.  All of these outlets are just forms of security blankets.  I don't know about you, but I'm tired of carrying around my comfort.  I'm turning to prayer, and talking to Bekah or my dad when these moments hit.  When I'm upset now, I try to stay away from the kitchen.  I know that a few tense moments will set me back to my old habit.  It'll turn me right back into a Linus.  So, I'm finding my comfort in those I love and I am losing my butter half.

Eating has been good today.  Bekah made a lot of her chicken and veggie pasta the other night, so it's been leftovers for a few days.  I will not complain about it.  It is a really great recipe and seems to be getting better each day!  Also, I was able to get an exercise in before dinner again.  I love it when I don't have to ride the bike right before bed.