Blanket
Mrs. Van Pelt held her newborn son, Linus, in her arms. Her daughter, Lucy, looked at her new brother. She wondered what kind of a kid he would be. She also noticed that he held onto his blue blanket that covered him pretty tightly. She wondered about that.
"Mommy?" said young Lucy.
"Yes, Lucy?" said the mother.
"Why does Linus hold on to his blanket so tightly?' asked the young girl.
"I don't know, Lucy. Maybe he likes it so he holds on to it as tight as he can."
"Okay." And Lucy didn't ask anything else about it. She just thought it was strange for him to hold on so tight to a blanket.
TWO YEARS LATER
A two-year-old Linus was dragging his blue blanket around the house. His big sister, Lucy, took notice. She wondered why he was still holding on to his blanket that he had when he was an infant. She thought it was strange. She went to her mother.
"Hey mom," she began. "Why does Linus still have that blue blanket of his? When I was his age, I never dragged a blanket everywhere I went."
"Well, maybe he likes that blanket, Lucy," said the mother. "It's like you and your dolly. You know how you like your dolly, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, maybe Linus's blanket is his favorite thing. And just like your dolly, he wants to bring his blanket everywhere with him."
"I guess I see what you are saying." And Lucy didn't bring it up to her mother again.
TWO WEEKS LATER, A VISIT FROM GRANDMA
"I swear, dear, you need to wean that boy off that blanket," said an older lady.
"Mother!" said Mrs. Van Pelt. "I'm not going to just take Linus's blanket from him. He's only two! He's still a baby."
"Nonsense!" said the older woman. "Many boys his age doesn't drag an old raggedy blanket everywhere they go. Do you want your boy to grow up well-adjusted?"
"Of course I do, mother. I just say let him grow out of it and give it up on his own!"
"Well I can't wait that long. As long as I'm here to visit, that boy will NOT drag that rag in my presence. Once I'm gone, if you want to give it back to him, that's your prerogative."
"Mother, with all due respect, that MY son! And WE will determine what is best for both our kids!"
"Okay. But if you want to have a mental-case for a son, that's YOUR business."
"MOTHER, PLEASE!"
"Sorry dear. I guess I was out of line for that remark."
"Yes, you were!"
"Tell you what. I won't press the issue anymore for now. But when he gets older and if he's still dragging that blanket around, I will take drastic action to rid him of it." And the woman took a puff off her cigarette. Unbeknownst to the two women, Lucy was listening on the conversation.
"Don't worry, grandma," she whispered to herself. "When Linus gets older, I will help you rid him of his blanket!"
THE END