Losing Things & Finding Wisdom

Recently, I thought I had lost my camera which led me into believing I had also lost my mother's charm bracelet.  

I went tearing through all my known hiding places, all the spots I normally lay things that are akin to my right hand and produced nothing.  Zero. Zilch. 

In looking for the camera, I stumbled across the box that, at one time, held my Mother's charm bracelet: EMPTY.

I found $13 in an old handbag. Win. But still no camera or charm bracelet.

I discovered, in my panic, that I own too much junk.

It is a recipe for disaster when we become less of a consumer and more consumed.  

People acquire things, people acquire people.  It is a vicious cycle.  I hope to one day be able to not feel the need to hold on to so much stuff. I need boxes & bins to hold stuff of stuff. What do I plan to do with this treasure trove of lip gloss, ink pens & twist ties? Save humanity? 

I save things because I may need them for an emergency.

Where is this stuff when a true emergency comes along? No where near me.

My mother has boxes of things she hopes to do one day.  Her days are running out fast.  I think this is when most people start giving things away-when they don't want to burden their heirs with the task of finding a home for their treasured belongings.  I have nothing that grand to give away.  The importance I place upon things is only sentimental to me.  I keep every token of a happy memory as if I could stop time and go back to visit it again just by glancing on that one piece of paper or card.  It would be nice to do that.  

Actually it would be great.

I should write a story about that.

(**A future note to be placed here....for when you get really bored and need an idea of something to do when you are not doing the other things you promised to get done by now.)

I value insightful conversation.  I was on the phone trying desperately to calm down and search for said lost items when my very busy friend Kimball said "Just breathe. Stop looking.  Now go take a drink of water and walk to the very place you wish you had placed the camera." I thought "You fool....I am having a crises and you want me to drink water?" I did it anyway.  And found my camera. In plain sight. Where I had looked twice before.

And then he said "I have your' Mom's charm bracelet. You dropped it off here to be cleaned and when you came to pick it up, I told you to just leave it here until you had time to deliver it straight to her because you would forget where you left it." 

I love my wise friends.  

I am glad we found each other.