Comfort

     A baby feels comfort from a full tummy, easy digestion, warmth, softness, rocking, and sounds of a heartbeat or a parent's voice.  Some are comforted with a thumb or a pacifier.  As we get older, we add the comforts from clothing, furniture, heating, air conditioning, and sounds of nature and music.  Comfort also comes from the companionship of friends, family, and pets.  Pleasant memories add to our comfort.
     Some types of comfort can originate from our own mind.  We can comfort ourselves by changing our perspective from pessimism to optimism, from stress to relaxation, from worry to acceptance.  As we increase in emotional maturity, we can learn to expand our comfort zone.  Sometimes discomfort may be just a message that something is wrong that we need to change.  
     At some point in history, humans began searching outside themselves for control and comfort.  They pleaded with the sun and nature and invented gods who they hoped would improve their lives.  They got comfort from the idea that the right song, dance, or prayer could change the natural course of events.  They created burial rites which showed their belief in the afterlife and reuniting with ancestors.  
     Some people believe this is how religion came into being and why even today, comfort comes from the belief in a higher power.  They have faith that God provides nature for our use, holds us close like a parent, and eases pain, confusion, grief, and fear.  Some believers get additional comfort from the idea that guardian angles watch over them. 
     People without these beliefs must learn to comfort themselves and others.  Often discomfort with the many unanswered questions is just a part of life.  Comfort comes in appreciating nature and the human capability of thinking logically and solving problems independently or with the help of others. 
      Even when our physical and emotional needs are met, we will have times of discomfort.  We can use a variety of methods to provide comfort for ourselves and others.