B is for … Bandaids

You're probably wondering how bandaids fit into the PBP.  I don't blame you.  I had a whole list of "B" topics to choose from.  But every time I thought about this week's post, all I came up with is "Bandaids are Magic".  Possibly, my 3 year old has something to do with this.  Have you ever noticed, when a child gets hurt, a bandaid almost always makes it better?  Talk about some powerful magic!  So simple, and yet, so effective.

Now, the question is why are bandaids so magical?

It’s not because they inherently possess magical properties.  Likewise, they usually are not charged with a healing purpose under the light of the full moon.  No, bandaids are magic because of the associations created during childhood.

Imagine this Scenario:

A child falls and scrapes her knee.  She cries.  Her mother (or father) picks her up, cuddles her  with loving words, carries her in to gently clean the scrape, put antibiotic ointment on it and cover it with a bandaid.  A kiss and "it's all better", and voila! The child has stopped crying and believes she is "all better" because she has a bandaid and a promise from her parent.

A bandaid has the ability to heal, not because we, as adults, think so, but because our parents said so when we were kids.  We then pass that magic on to our own children by repeating the same rituals of comfort we experienced as a child.  Even as an adult, when I happen to slice my finger while making dinner (which, unfortunately, happens all too often), the first thing I do is locate a bandaid.  There is still a sense of comfort and care in that simple action so many years later.

These comforting words and actions of a parent, that make such an impression and have such a lasting effect, well, that is the true magic.  Still, if you ask my kids, bandaids are magic, no matter what you say.