Losing Things
We all hate to lose things. It is crazy-making. It can be big things like where you parked your car or small things like an earring. Thank heavens for the key fobs telling your car to blink or honk. Losing one of a pair of anything is incredibly frustrating. Socks are particularly good at getting lost. I remember buying some colorful socks for my granddaughters and thought it very clever that the socks came in a pack of three. One to lose built-in.
But with the agony of loss comes the joy of finding. Once something is lost, the game is on to find the lost item. We are challenged to solve the puzzle. What happened, and where could it be? I find it especially delightful to find a lost item. It is almost like a present.
Big Guy will tell you how much I hate to lose things. It seems to happen more and more. It can be glasses, a purse or car keys. Usually, the searches are short. The long searches are the most frustrating. You know the ones that go on for days and weeks or maybe months. It becomes a puzzle that I am determined to solve.
Just how long does something have to be missing before it is officially lost? Maybe it is not lost, it’s that we can’t find it. Five minutes? Ten minutes? Long enough to make us upset about its absence? There are strategies. Retrace your steps. Any change in a regular pattern leads to disaster. That's when things get lost.
Aging eyes have demanded that I use “close-up” glasses for reading and computer work. My solution for my frustration in not finding glasses when I need them is invest in several pairs that are strategically stationed around the house. Did you know that many restaurants have spare magnifying glasses for those of us that might forget our cheaters? Just ask. I love my smartwatch with its little button you press, and my misplaced phone sounds a beep.
I used to travel with a friend and her answer to all lost things was to summon up St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things. It usually worked. She would contact the good Saint and he, usually, led us to the lost item.
Some losses are small and predictable: car keys, glasses and phones. Some losses are more significant and scarier, like energy, time, focus, money, and, sadly, relationships. When a loss cannot be recovered, it is best to go on. Sometimes, you can replace the lost and sometimes you just have to get over it.
Why do we celebrate with such glee when the lost is found? Maybe we have some sense that, yes, we do have some control of our busy lives. Finding the lost is cause for great celebration.
Anyone seen my keys?
