The Red Blanket

It is super cold right now where I am. A cold wave is at play in North India. I thought I would share a little story about a red velvet blanket I own.  Because I am sitting tucked inside it. It’s a magic blanket.

Many years ago, on one of my birthdays, a rather dear friend of mine made a blanket for me. Yes made it. She bought the cotton sheet and another velvet softer sheet and then she stitched it. Then she cut out a border then stitched that.  And then on the border she cut little cloth motifs of characters I was sketching for a project that was very dear to me. When she ran out of characters she cut out cloth motifs off things she and I enjoyed together. And then painstakingly night after night she embroidered them and stitched it all on this Red blanket. I think she worked on it for almost a month after she would put her kids to bed. 

I remember being really overwhelmed when I recived it. I also remember a little note with the present. May the blanket of our friendship always keep you warm on the coldest night.

The reason I am writing this post is not so much about the present  as just a material gift but that blanket is magic. It seems that little wish of hers had come from a very pure corner of her heart. And when you wish from a space of purity it comes true.

This blanket is a rather comfortable one but is not meant for 2 degree temperatures , it’s not even meant for 18 degrees. Yet it’s been years now since I have that blanket. Almost 17 years maybe. But it is incredibly warm. It’s weird.

There have been very cold nights when I have just slept with that one blanket. My family thought I was crazy and believed I would contract pneumonia.

Infact I have warmer blankets meant for extreme cold but they never work as well as this. Initially I used to belive it’s my own mental story but with each passing year I believe it has to be more than a story I believe in.( After all if you are cold you are cold.) I do use other blankets but this blanket is uncanny, I don’t think it will work in the Artic but there is something about it.

I have come to believe my friend when she gifted me the blanket, and all those nights she would stay up stitching it actually insulated it with some pure love. As crazy as it sounds I think things like that are possible.

My friend and I barely talk anymore, being on different continents and just life has brought in its own distance. Yet strangely that blanket seems to be caught in a space that defies distance and logic. And it still holds something as if it was magic.

Even on the coldest night, the blanket still keeps me warm, I texted my friend one winter couple of years back. 

She replied laughing surprised I still had it. 

And then she added, well when I was making it I was so grateful and full of love and joy that I had a friend like you in my life when I was at my most miserable phase of my life. I knew I wanted the blanket to be able to carry that warmth. I am glad you still have it.

Well what do you think, I am hallucinating or can these things  happen?