Talismans

"I have a velvet pillow filled with buckwheat and scented with lavender that my husband gave me for a Valentine's Day present one year. It's designed as a roll to fit underneath my neck when I am reading in bed. Now, when I have trouble sleeping, I lay the pillow on top of my chest. Its weight and softness feel comforting. This simple pillow roll has now become an object of comfort for me.

"There are things that comfort us by their presence: in our rooms, our cars, and our pockets. They remind us of special people, important moments, or powerful feelings. They are the silver candlesticks that belonged to our grandparents, a smooth stone picked up at the beach, the medal of a saint on a keychain, and the tattered photographs in our wallets. They are totems of comfort that we can touch and hold in our sight.

Cultivating Comfort

"Imagine how many drops of comfort a day you are receiving from the presence of simple but sacred objects: a wedding ring, a bracelet, a photograph of a loved one, an icon. Take a look around you. Recognize the objects that are giving you comfort — privately, quietly, daily.

"holding a special object of comfort in my hands"