Lesson from the Road #3 - If it's broke, leave it at home

I had a very busy week in Seattle last week; visiting with the curly haired boy and his chick, making wedding bouquets for the chick, then work Wednesday through Saturday and I flew home Sunday.  I am home until Friday morning and then off again for about 11 days.

So, a few things you need to know to understand this story...1) I am a wiggler.  I wiggle my foot, I would rather stand than sit, I play with my rings, and I worry my bracelets all day.  2) I am a worrier, and the more I worry, the more I wiggle....

One of my "let's make people think we are as normal as possible" strategies is not to wiggle as much as I want to.  So I focus on breathing and play with my bracelets more, it is a little more socially acceptable than, let's say, pacing all day, yelling at those that are not on the same page as you, or stuffing all the chocolate for the goodie bags into your mouth.  I play with my bracelets a lot.

My husband gets me bracelets for special occasions.  He got me a beautiful diamond bracelet when I retired from the school district, he got me a purple stone and gold bracelet in Costa Rica last January, and he got me a diamond bracelet when our blond boy got married two years ago. And I bought a lavender beaded bracelet the first time I visited my two boys after they moved to Oregon 4 years ago.

I am in the habit of taking them off each evening and saying a little prayer with each one.  I say a little prayer for The blond boy and his wife with the wedding bracelet, I say a prayer for the other kids and their partners with the lavender beads, I say a prayer for my husband and me with the purple one, and I pray for a serving heart with the diamond retirement bracelet.  Then each morning, I do the same as I put them on.

During the day as I fiddle with them, I say little prayers or breath slowly as I play with the beads.

Friday in Seattle was a very busy day.  We unpacked boxes, stuffed goodie bags, set tables, organized paperwork, made name tags, set and then reset our rooms.  We were finished with our work and I met a friend in the hotel restaurant for dinner.  After we had a good visit and a great meal, I went upstairs ready for a good night sleep before another very busy day.  I kicked off my shoes, reached for my bracelets to take them off.......and one was missing.

The wedding bracelet was gone.  I was sick.  I rushed downstairs and checked in the restaurant, they were so kind and took the whole booth apart and I searched, I checked at the front desk and they called housekeeping and security, I checked through the bags and boxes and tables in the room we had set up, I checked through the garbage and the bathroom garbage.  It was gone.  I had to cry, more than a little bit.

The problem with this is I know it is my fault.  The safety clasp was not working and I knew it.  I wore it anyway because I like to have it on and mess with it.  I called Dave and had to cry a little more.

The bracelet did not show up.  I left my card with my cell phone with about 15 people at the hotel.  My co-worker still thinks it might show up in one of our boxes, so we will look again when Fed Ex ships them back to us, but I am not that hopeful.  I think I lost it forever. (Big sniff here).

My husband says it is a good thing the curly haired boy is getting married, I'll get another bracelet.  Somehow I think it won't have diamonds and he will ask for a double safety clasp on it.

April 1, 2014   Daylight 13 hrs. 37 min. 49 sec.  Temp. H 37/ L 7°F