Shannon Harwood

I don’t know what prompted me to take this particular blanket from my childhood home all those years ago. Probably being broke and worrying that winter would be much colder when living alone and paying for a whole heating bill. Yes, it was likely a practical reason that led me to fold it into my car with everything else that made up my little life. It’s a very practical blanket, you see: warm, nondescript, trimmed with snaps which make me think it used to line a different blanket or sleeping bag of some kind. Knowing my parents, it probably found its way into their lives through practicality—or through being broke. Or both. When I furnished my first apartment, this blanket became a couch cover. It moved to a bed next, becoming the just-in-case bedspread. It has been taken camping and trekked across the country when I moved to Oregon. Right now, as I write this it is on the couch, warming my feet. This blanket has been a loving reminder of family, of scrappy practicality, and the comforts of home.