[Onward2wards]

A random memory occurred today while I was starting another thread.

One of my earliest memories is of having pretty bad separation anxiety at school. I don't recall exactly what age or school, just that I had this experience. I remember thinking that something which would remind me of home and the familiar might just calm me down, so I asked a teacher if I could hold my book bag for a while. That was the right thing to do as it turned out - wow, me a child psychologist while still a child!

I find it intriguing that "token objects" (I think that's the term I'm looking for?) can have a calming effect on people long after the age of Linus' security blanket. How many of us use lucky rabbits' feet, "worry stones", a spiritual or philosophical verse in our wallets or purses, photographs, paintings and decorations which serve to remind us of things that make us feel happy or calm or in a better frame of mind? This is applied psychology in our daily lives! It is the power of psychological associations. Hey, if it works ...

I have a worry stone and a feather. More recently I have placed Lavender on my wrists. All three give me comfort. When I was younger I had a blanket. I ruined it because I would actually bite it to relieve the anguish and stress I was going through.