A T-Shirt & A Toast

I have a security blanket. Except it's not a blanket, it's a green Buddha t-shirt from Old Navy (the official Buddha headquarters, of course) that I've had for 6 years. If you know me, then you definitely know this t-shirt- I've worn it just about a million times. My husband was the original rightful owner but he came to me one day and said, "Do you want this shirt? It shrunk and now it's too small for me". That's when I decided to make it official and adopt it, and we've been very close friends ever since. And honestly, ever since this shirt came into my life, I have a deeper understanding of why children bond and cling to comfort items such as blankets or pacifiers, because my Buddha shirt sure makes me feel safe and secure and loved and wonderful. And because it's green, it also reminds me of Christmas. Need I say more?

It's not that there's anything special about it at first (or second or third) glance- it's an unusually soft green cotton shirt. The unusually soft part is what drew me to it in the first place. It has an outline picture of a Buddha-like figure with the words "Happy Buddha" at the top, which- for this Catholic girl, doesn't have much significance for me other then the fact that it's kind of a cute little Buddha. And I have a difficult time saying no to anything that's green. Over the years it has faded and gotten thinner and thinner as I've washed it thousands of times and also insisted upon squeezing my bulging pregnant belly into it with BOTH pregnancies. Because when you're pregnant and miserable, you JUST NEED YOUR SECURITY BLANKET (shirt). I even owe staying somewhat caught up on my laundry to this shirt because heaven forbid I go two or three nights without it. There are a couple of unidentified stains. There is one very odd-shaped blood stain from the time I tried to squirt saline water up my stuffy nose but something went terribly wrong in the process and the next thing I knew blood was squirting out of my nose all over the place --and DANG IT! Blood on my Buddha shirt. For some, this would be reason enough to get rid of the tattered shirt altogether, but I'd like to think the imperfections give it character, so I keep hanging on.

A few weeks ago, we were celebrating my birthday with family and I was the lucky recipient of some very heartfelt toasts and kind words being tossed around. Although I loved every word that was said, I was holding my breath waiting for my husband's toast. (Side note: I don't think we toast our loved ones as often as we should. There should be a national Toast Those You Love Day). He waited for the right moment, raised his wine glass and said:

You know when you impulse buy something because it's the prettiest or the flashiest or has the most bells and whistles? Ever notice how it can quickly become a one-time thing and even more quickly lose its luster? If it's an item of clothing, you only wear it once maybe twice every couple of years for certain occasions.
That's not you.
You are comfortable, Nicole. You are always there for me, ready. Waiting. And at the end of day, when I am tired and looking forward to coming home, I am always excited and ready to put you on to get cozy and be comforted and loved by you. You are my Buddha t-shirt.

Apparently he thinks my imperfections give me character. And he keeps hanging on.