These days, there’s so much going on all the time. Online, everything’s fast; we dive from one meme, one social issue, one hot-button topic to the next like changing clothes. In real life, traffic’s too slow, school’s too much, and work follows you around. You can hardly pause to take a breath. But we learn to cope and find comfort in the only ways we know how. Turns out we can never really outgrow the concept of security blankets: things that ground us and bring us back to when everything was simple and clear.
Young STAR asked a few people about their security blankets, and here’s what they had to say:
Six people talk about the things that they hold on to when times get tough, or when they just need a moment of solace.
– Alissa Bantigue, 25
“Once, after a particularly bad dream, I looked outside my bedroom window and saw a star that blinked red and blue. This was the same star I’d see after getting my heart broken, and the same star I’d see while driving home with my partner 10 years...
– Nikki Bonuel, 20
“My security blanket was a stuffed animal named Dexter that I got as a gift from my
tita when I was born. He was with me every single day for almost 20 years, and was like a partner to me growing up. I would bring him everywhere (including every...
– Martina Isabela Roces, 19
“I’ve had this hot dog-shaped pillow ever since I was born. After the cotton stuffing inside came apart and left it loose in the middle, I fondly christened it as my ‘broken pillowlow.’ My favorite thing about it was the one pillowcase it always wore:...
– Andie Bernas, 20
“2012 was a time of angst and anxiety for me as I typically glued my eyes to Tumblr. My mom bought this comfy Beatles hoodie for me and I got immediately attached to it. I would wear it on days I felt especially vulnerable, anxious for class, or when...
– Cheska Famatiga, 20
“She is Rafiki. I believe I’ve had her with me ever since. Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to play outside with the neighborhood kids, so I was quite lonely, but she made me feel less lonely. I’m 20 now, when I still feel that loneliness looming, I still...
– Meg Guerrero, 20
“Music has always been such a great part of my life that it’s one of the only things that I’m certain will make me feel okay at the end of the day. I used to dance a lot. Now, I sing a lot. But mostly, I listen to my ‘:(‘ playlist on Spotify a lot. It...