Lost and Found

Have you ever lost your wallet? I did over 10 years ago. I left my wallet sitting on the seat of my car after lunch and, within ten minutes of returning to the office, I received a call from someone in the building to tell me my window in my car was broken. After I checked it out, I came back into the office to call the insurance company and realized my wallet wasn’t in my purse and that is why my window had been broken. Someone had stolen my wallet. What a major inconvenience and hassle!!

Why do I mention this? Well, when I arrived home from the store this evening, I went to pick up my purse and realized my wallet wasn’t there. I looked all over the floor of the car, thinking I had dropped it near the purse rather than in the purse and I couldn’t find it. I got out of the car and looked everywhere I could, trying to not panic (since I try never to panic) but to think this through logically. The wallet wasn’t to be found. Where I could I have left it? I had it in my pocket of my coat when I was at the grocery store. Logically thinking it must have fallen out at the store. Probably in the parking lot.

I got back in the car and drove as quickly as I could back to the store. As I drove I thought about how inconvenient it would be if I couldn’t find the wallet. I would have to get a new driver’s license, new Social Security card, new bank cards, insurance cards, and all the other kinds of cards I had in my wallet. I knew I had cash in it but I wasn’t sure how much and really didn’t care. Someone could have my wallet in their hands and be on-line charging all kinds of things and draining my bank accounts. I would have to cancel all those cards and dispute all the charges and that is such a hassle!

I did stop swearing and start praying as I drove to the store. That calmed me down and helped me to get more focused. When I pulled in the parking lot, the space next the where I had parked was open so I pulled in there. I looked in the snow around the parking place and under the vehicle that was parked there now. No wallet. I took one more look in my car just to make sure I hadn’t missed it but it really wasn’t there.

So I headed in the store and walked as quickly as I could to the customer service desk. I asked the girl behind the counter if someone had turned in a wallet…a pink wallet. (Did I mention my wallet is called “love letters” and is pink with writings from excerpts of love letters written on it? Really sweet and probably the most favorite wallet I have ever owned. Since my birthday is on Valentine’s Day, it is highly appropriate for me.). The customer service rep then said what I was hoping she would say. “Yes, someone just turned it in”. THANK GOD!! Really truly, Thank God!

She then smiled at me and said, “it really makes you panic, doesn’t it?”. She had me sign the lost and found form and then went in the back to get my wallet. I went through it and everything was there. The cards, the license and the cash. At least I think all the cash was there but, as I had said, I really didn’t know how much I had and if the person who found my wallet took a $20 as a reward, they are more than welcome to it.

I thanked the customer service person and thanked her again. She commented that there really are nice people in the world. Someone saw my wallet in the snow and turned it in. Definitely a really nice person.

I know that in the grand scheme of things, a lost wallet is a small tragedy. And really not a tragedy as much as a major inconvenience and a hassle. But I am grateful it turned out as well as it did. And I would like to say a very large THANK YOU to the person who turned it in. Really truly grateful to that person.

I have learned my lesson. I’m not putting the wallet in the pocket of my coat again. Clearly it is too big for that pocket and I should either hold the wallet in my hand or keep it in my purse and carry my purse with me. That way it will be safe and secure so I won’t lose it.

One more time….Thank You, Kind Person and Thank You, God!!