Nostalgic Treasures: My Childhood Keepsakes

Daily writing prompt

What personal belongings do you hold most dear?

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Tucked away in a drawer in my room are three items that meant the world to me as a child, and still do today.

1. a Lion King knit blanket
2. a stuffed Pikachu doll

Let’s start with the Lion King blanket. When I was a little tyke, I dragged this blanket everywhere—from sleepovers to road trips to Louisiana—to the point that the knits would snag on anything and unravel the blanket. Old Simba retired to the bottom of a clothing drawer as I grew older, but over the years, I occasionally took him out to prove to my mother that I still have the first blanket given to me.

Finally, the stuffed Pikachu doll. My father bought this stuffed replica in lieu of the real Pikachu. Give me a break. I didn’t know any better in third grade. Despite that, I carried this doll anywhere: to school or on long car rides. I tried bringing him to church, but apparently, Pikachu are banned from the house of the Lord. So why did I carry Pikachu and my Lion King blanket most of the time? They were my source of safety and solace in situations I struggled to understand.