The Weight of It

So I got this idea for a Christmas gift and pitched it to my husband - a cooling weighted blanket. I had heard how they can make you sleep better, bring comfort, and quite possibly reduce anxiety. He was unconvinced of the "necessity". Can we just stop right here and ask, "Why does a Christmas present have to be necessary?" Anyway.

Maybe the kids would be more supportive. I believe my firstborn son responded, "a what?".
"A cool weighted blanket. You know, heavy (so I can cuddle down for the cold winter), but not hot (because I bring enough heat)", I answered.

He whipped out his laptop to look the blanket up on Amazon. I think he doubted the existence. He started reading aloud and Scott, Brittany and I died laughing. Partly for the description, and partly for Drew's reading with expression (something I begged him to do when he was younger and reading to his siblings) - better yet, his inability to read it through for fits of cracking up - with tears, even.

4.0 out of 5 stars Boyfriends loves it & won't get out of bed

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2019

Size: 60''x80'',15lbsColor: Dark GreyVerified Purchase

My boyfriend asked for a weighted blanket for Christmas, and I attempted to do some research. I quickly
became bogged down in conflicting reviews - and found the whole process rather frustrating.
As Christmas loomed, I eventually had to throw caution to the wind and just hit 'add to cart' on something. 
I chose this blanket & cover set.

In a blatant display of ignorant bravado my boyfriend requested 'the heaviest blanket possible.' 
I deferred to the accepted wisdom of 10% of his bodyweight. Long story short -- my bf loves 
the blanket. He tells me almost daily. I do suspect a big part of the love is the soft, 'minky' cover.
 It's pretty fantastic. He doesn't find it too hot, but bear in mind it's January in Winnipeg Manitoba. 
If you aren't familiar with Winnipeg, we literally made headlines for being colder than Mars. Google it.

I too love the feel of the blanket, but often find it too hot. That said, I'm in menopause 
-- which if you aren't familiar -- google it.

So all in all, we are both happy with the blanket -- and our cats are also big fans. 
Personally, I love that it's not a magnet for cat hair. That was a big concern for me.

My other concern was/is -- if we are in a raging house fire would all the beads melt 
and effectively laminate us to our mattress. I worry about stuff like that. 
My boyfriend says this is not something I need to be concerned about.

a blatant display of ignorant bravado
laminate us to the blanket
Who is this author? I want to meet her. I had no idea Amazon reviews were so amusing or creative.

We now have Drew read it often strictly for entertainment purposes. It's a spectacle. I'm willing to share it - private message me. 

Fast forward to Christmas morning. Because I have a wonderful, tolerant husband, I got the blanket, king-size.

I could barely lift it. 17 pounds of substantial density. The girls and I tried it first and sunk under the pressure - and fell in love. Brittany threatened to fall asleep with me as an experiment of whether or not her father-in-law would kick her out of our bed.

I tell you, friends, do yourself a favor and invest in this treasure. The first few nights I slept better than I have in months. I didn't get up in the night like I usually do. Mostly because I couldn't get out from underneath it. I didn't roll over repeatedly, maybe because I couldn't lift it in my sleepy state. Some mornings I can only manage sliding out from underneath. Regardless. It's more than a bed linen, it covers me with gusto. 

Making the bed has become a sufficient daily workout now, especially when I wash the bedding, but the reward at the end of the day is worth it during another long Adirondack winter. 

The jury is still out for Scott who occasionally has nightmares that he is buried alive and can't get out, but every night when I fall asleep, I thank God for it because the blanket reminds me of Him. The heavy comfort of His presence. 

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

2 

You know when I sit and when I rise;

    you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 

You discern my going out and my lying down;

    you are familiar with all my ways.

4 

Before a word is on my tongue

    you, Lord, know it completely.

5 

You hem me in behind and before,

    and you lay your hand upon me.

6 

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

    too lofty for me to attain.*

What if God's love and care for me is like the weighted blanket? It protects me. His love bears down and weighs on me. It prevents me from making a quick getaway when I feel like it's smothering. No, it comforts me, surrounds and cloaks me in comfort and safety.

You are my hiding place;

You will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.**

Is the feeling I get under this blanket like what it feels to be under the shadow and wings of Almighty God? 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.

He will cover you with His feathers,

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness will be your shield and defense.***

Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings,

from the wicked who assail me

from my enemies who surround me.****

I love imagining these images as I drift off to sleep. I consider Psalm 4:8, a verse I used to meditate on when I was young and afraid of being alone at night:

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O Lord,

make me dwell in safety.

And in the end, my husband wins the prize for getting me the "wow" gift for Christmas 2019.

 *Psalm 139

**Psalm 32:4

***Psalm 91:1-4

****Psalm 17:8