thanks so much for the replies (((((all)))))
As far as thinking of my armor as something I could remove/shed......I've sort of been thinking maybe I could think of it as like a knight in the middle ages who wore his suit of armor into battle, carried his shield and weapons, and needed it then, in the day, in the battle.....but there were times to take it off, too, for sleep or for festivities. Armor would have been too uncomfortable to wear ALL the time.....so I need to start thinking of my armor as like a thin, strong, flexible suit of armor I could take off in safe times, and more comfortable to wear in the battle times (so to speak!) if it's not such a heavy, thick kind.....I don't need to think of it as something that's permanently grown into me.
Crabs and other sea creatures have shells that they can shed, or leave and come home to; why not me, too?!
Yes, I think I will make a shield and take it to T on Tuesday.......won't she be surprised! But I think the symbolism, and the symbolism being tangible, is important....