Okay, so I went to the little local mall, where there is a "giving tree". Each year, each member of my immediate family (me, my children, and this year my husband) pick a wish and fulfill it for a kid or teen who's family need some Santa help. (Or in the teens' cases, likely just need Santa.)
We dropped off our pressies, the kids had their photo with our local (not too polished) Santa, and we grabbed a birthday gift for a friend who's birthday we celebrate today.
Somehow in that rush, yours truthfully, "lost" a wallet. Luckily I don't carry much in my wallet. A pen I love, a credit and bank card, my driver's license. And about $150 cash ... Luckily, I'd removed a couple of things: my iPod with my photos on it was in my pocket, I'd briefly had a couple of rings, one antique and of significant value, both real and sentimental, in there but they'd already been stored elsewhere, and I'd left some tickets I'd picked up for a Christmas outing today at home. Seriously, that's pretty lucky as I would have been much more miserable to lose these less replaceable items ...
Anyway, it just got me to thinking about karma. Either I have a lot to make up for still (and despite my best efforts) or sometimes karma just doesn't come into play.
Either way. I came home with the resolve to not allow this "mishap" ruin my day. Afterall, the things in the wallet are mostly replaceable, and not valuable comparatively speaking to my outlook on life and that of my children. Today we will do the tedious acts of replacing some of the more important items ... a trip to the bank and the motor vehicles office ... and we will allow the service staff in these places to give us sympathy and comfort. We will find ways around the roadblocks: no photo id makes replacing id tricky for sure, but it is not impossible.
So many people have it far worse than us. When my children expressed anger at the fact that someone didn't turn in my belongings, I told them it might even out in their karma, but that it was a loss we could afford and maybe, just maybe, the person that found it just needed it desperately enough to not see straight enough to return what they didn't need.
Either way, thanks to those who've returned my lost wallets in times past. That small act is always appreciated, especially when one doesn't come back. You win some, you lose some. Ultimately, I'm pretty sure I've won more than I've lost, so I'll take this one for the team.
I hope everyone has things to be grateful for this Christmas and can recognise the things that make their life good and unique, despite the setbacks that come their way. This ability to see the brighter side is, after all, what makes my life perfect, even when it isn't.
Merry Christmas!
