Plasters are magical. I don’t know if it is a physical thing or purely psychological, but Adrian tells me that putting a plaster on a scraped finger makes it hurt less. Perhaps the feeling of the plaster itself is distracting, or maybe it’s because the hurt is no longer exposed to air. Or maybe it’s just a purely psychological effect. Plastcebo?

When the kids were small, they used to come to me to get the plaster magic. But already many years ago I moved our stash of plasters from the medicine box on the highest shelf to an easily-reachable floor-level spot, so the kids can serve themselves as needed.

I wish they could also learn to notice when they take the last one and note it down on the grocery list. But no. Several times I’ve needed a plaster (usually because I’ve cut my finger in the kitchen) only to see that the box is empty. (Still there, not thrown in the bin, despite being empty. Sigh.) Now I’ve learned to inspect the stores occasionally and stock up in good time.