Do you remember something you lost that was really valuable to you? Loved ones aside, of course. Do you remember how attached you were to this particular ‘thing’? Do you recall what it represented to you? Do you think back to it often?
I lost my wedding ring. Actually my wedding set. My engagement ring and the jacket were connected together to prevent wear and tear on the prongs holding the solitaire in place. Accompany me on the journey I’ve been on since Wednesday, May 14th, 2008.
I’m a creature of habit. I operate by routine. You can usually set your clock by me. I have a pattern in place for getting ready in the morning and a similar (yet reversed) pattern for when I get off work and get home. So, Wednesday afternoon consisted of wrapping up some loose ends followed by dinner, bathing the kids and bedtime. Whoo-hoo! Another evening wrapped up nicely. If only I’d known what the next three days would hold….sigh.
Thursday, May 15th, 2008
I awoke Thursday morning to find that my ring was missing. I was pretty sure I remembered returning it to its hiding place the night before, but it wasn’t there…immediately, my mind started racing, trying to rehash my steps throughout the day and all I could come up with was removing it in the car to put lotion on, laying it in my lap, forgetting to put it back on and then getting out of the car. That means, it could be in only about 30 places. Great!
So, most of my day Thursday was spent in tears…while searching frantically and understanding that everyday that went by was going to make it harder to find. I took Thursday evening to dissect the house and car (again) to ensure that I hadn’t left any stone un-turned.
Friday, May 16th, 2008
After much searching of my house, car, desk at work & numerous parking lots within a 30 mile radius I determined that the time had come for me to place an ad in the paper. I live in Anniston, AL and I spend most of my days in Gadsden, AL because it’s my territory. It’s only about 30 miles North of Anniston, but when you’re searching for your lost wedding ring, it’s heartbreaking to know that your coverage area is that large. So, I decided to place the ad in The Anniston Star (where I work) and I opted to include The Gadsden Times as well because they can reach an audience that The Star cannot. It’s a shot in the dark because the odds of someone finding it are slim…then banking on their honesty in today’s society….not good odds, huh?
I had all kinds of folks convey their sympathies to me in the form of “Good luck! I hope someone honest finds it or you’ll never see it again” or “I’m sorry you lost something so valuable to you – I know it was pretty expensive.” Anyone with sense knows that it’s not about the dollar amount that the ring appraised for. It’s about all that the ring represents. It represented the fussin’ and the fightin’; the wailin’ and the cryin’; the laughing and the babies! All of it seemed to be erasing with the disappearance of my ring like the picture of Marty McFly’s family in Back to the Future!
Saturday, May 17th, 2008
Saturday proved to be a busy day before I even got out of bed! We headed off to the hubby’s company “fun day” at the local Nascar racetrack where the kids had an absolute blast. After that, we had to be at the T-Ball party by 4:00 pm. We made it to Party Central and as we were entertained by the kids playing I mentioned to my husband that I’d been absentmindedly adjusting my ring with my pinky finger all day…out of habit. I received that look from him. You know, that look that is so sorrowful and says, “I know, Jenn. But, I’m afraid we’re probably never going to see that ring again.” It broke my heart a little. I don’t like to disappoint and by losing the ring in the first place, I had already managed to do so. Accidental as it was, I was absolutely sick over it.
Saturday night, upon our return home, I received a phone call on my cell phone from a gentleman that claimed to have found a ring that may match my description in the ad placed in the paper. After I finished screaming into the phone, I gave the gentleman an in-depth description of my ring and he followed it with the sweetest words I’ve heard in a while, “Yes, ma’am. I’m pretty sure this is your ring here.”
On the drive up, the hubby and I discussed the odds of someone finding the ring and being honest enough not to pawn it! Or the odds of that person actually picking up the paper to try and locate a lost and found ad. We were both betting that all odds were against me finding it. Upon arriving at the gentleman’s home, I was greeted not only with my ring, but by the most wonderful man. His name is Darryl Brown and he is the pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Gadsden. But, that’s not the weird part. By my calculations (based on where he found the ring) I lost it around lunchtime on Wednesday in a strip mall parking lot. Included in this strip mall is a Subway. He and his wife eat at Subway every Wednesday afternoon. So, my ring only laid in the parking lot a couple of hours. He told us how he was planning to run a “Found” ad in the paper to see if someone might see it. I forced him $100 for his honesty and he begrudgingly accepted and indicated that he’d use it as a sermon piece.
I was so blown away by all these circumstances. It’s just too hard to accept as coincidental. You just can’t write this stuff. I’m still having a little trouble wrapping my head around it all. Nevertheless, my ring is back – a little battered and bruised – but back. I’m grateful that someone of good moral fiber happened upon my lost ring and not someone that would have skipped Subway and gone next door to the Jewelry and Pawn Shop. I recognize how lucky I am to have been reunited with my it – loose diamonds and all. My faith has been restored…which may have been just what the Dr. was ordering for me.
Eerie, huh?
.JPG)
