Hansville Happenings

I recently came to understand that everyone I know has a special comfort they give themselves. What I mean is a place or a special thing that is just for bringing comfort to the body, and maybe the soul.

When we have a baby that just can’t find peace, and cries well past the endurance of a parent, sometimes a warm bottle of milk is the answer. The first comfort food we understand. As the child gets older a comfort possession is likely to be a piece of an old blanket or a well-used stuffed toy. Our first comfort thing. Even later when a cranky child is out and about with a parent they say, “He’ll be okay once he’s in his own bed,” and he is. The first comfort place we know.

I took a survey and asked for suggestions for giving ourselves comfort. Some answers were from friends and some from people I just happened to talk to in the doctor’s office or on the ferry. Here’s what I learned:

Chocolate is a big comfort food. There wasn’t one person I asked that didn’t mention mmmmm-chocolate was high on their list. A close second choice was wine (not much surprise there), but there are other foods mentioned, too. I heard about ice cream, potato chips, hot soup, cup of tea, and (this was a surprise) a big salad with croutons. She told me the “crunch” was what did it for her. (And, yes, I also heard about scotch and soda.)

I also asked, in this survey, what objects brought comfort from a vexation or just plain busy life. Old, well-worn comfy robes were high on the list, followed by putting on blue jeans that were so “broken in” they felt like second skin. Sweat pants were right up there, too. One lady told me she liked to wear her old, disgusting tennis shoes because they were so “friendly.” A guy who is in his 80th year told me he carried a coin in his pocket that his dad gave him when he turned 16. He said his father told him it would bring him luck and inspiration and would calm his fears. This fellow said it always has, so he carries it still. Some of my Catholic friends wear medals they find comforting, and another lady said she always carries a miniature Bible in her purse.

Places that brought comfort were all over the place (pun intended). A cemetery was mentioned several times. Some visited spouses that had gone on before them, and some said they liked to visit their parents resting place and that brought them comfort. Many, many said their garden was a source of comfort and solitude. One fellow said hiking was his way to get away from his busy life and yes, it was a comfort to be alone sometimes. Another told me fishing was the best way, and a couple of boat people told me sailing with nothing but the wind for a companion was their most comforting place. A boat-racing friend said winning a race was his best comfort to ward off life.

After hearing all these wonderful comfort stories I decided my comfort food was ice cream or chocolate or hot tea, depending. My not very new robe was my comfort thing along with a good book by a favorite author, and my comfort place was a warm bathtub with a soothing bath fragrance, roses or lavender or sometimes eucalyptus oil, depending again.

We each have a food, thing, or place to retreat to that repairs our frustrations, fixes our outlook on life, or smoothes our cares – even if we can’t really define it. Just sitting still in a place we love, or just walking down to the mailbox and feeling the sun on your shoulders after the winter winds are gone can be a comfort.

If none of these suggestions work for you … give me a call. Sometimes just talking to a friend will do the trick and be the most comfort of all.

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