Surrendering the Sunglasses

By Belinda

I buy certain things in sets of two. There are things that I buy in irrational quantities, but that's another blog story; this is about items for which I have a reason for duplicates: gloves and sunglasses--things I tend to lose and for which I keep a back up pair. 

I've been doing so well with gloves ever since I bought two sets that clip together as pairs. I have caught them just in time, dropping to the ground from my lap as I stepped from the car several times, and I recently found one of my pairs lying neatly outside the post office exactly where I had parked the car the previous day--but I still have both pairs. 

Recently though, I lost the one pair of sunglasses I had left, and which I been so careful to not lose all winter. My eyes are light sensitive and I need sunglasses when driving so after checking the lost and found box at church and finding only a pink and grey paisley silk scarf that I didn't even know I'd lost, I resigned myself to buying another pair, and a spare.

So last weekend I bought two pairs I loved from a local drug store. One had a zebra print frame and the other a leopard print. They were funky and cool and I was all set. I kept one pair in the car and the other pair at home. 

On Friday afternoon I had a pre-op appointment with an eye surgeon, after which I drove back to my office. It was when I got into the car to drive home that I realized I couldn't find my sunglasses. I went back to the office and looked around in case they were on my desk, but they weren't. I checked under the car seat. No luck. I thought back to the doctor's office and could not remember wearing them on the way back to work. Somewhere in the doctor's office, or perhaps in the downstairs wash room where I had stopped to re-insert my contact lenses, my sunglasses and I had parted company. 

I can't tell you how disappointing this was to me. I even tried calling the doctor's office but got the answering machine saying that they answer the phone only on Monday to Thursday during the day, and on Friday during the morning. What is that--answering the phone "only on Friday morning?" I knew they were in the office NOT answering the phone. I had been there. 

I obsessed over my lost zebra print sunglasses. I confess I spent much too much time perseverating over where I could have left them. 

Finally, this morning, I decided to let go--to surrender the sunglasses. Instead of fretting, I decided to hope that someone else would find them and enjoy them; my loss would be their gain. This helped a lot. My perspective changed and I could go on and buy another pair.

I hope I'm not alone in my absent mindedness. Do you find yourself continually losing certain items? I wonder if this little idea would help you--thinking that someone else might be enjoying your lost things, and wishing them joy.

Comments

Deidra said…
I don't get that not answering the phone thing. Hmmm...

I lost my earbuds the other day. They have been instrumental in helping me train for a 5K and for a moment I felt lost without them. I have a back-up pair, but they're just not the same. So I'm going to give your suggestion a try and wish much joy to the finder of my very favorite earbuds.

At least I'm going to try. :)
Belinda said…
Ah, Deidra, I hope it helps you as it did me. I imagine this whole economy of lost belongings finding new owners to treasure them and somehow it really does help.
Susan said…
I have personally spread a LOT of joy. Everywhere I've been, pretty much. :)
Belinda said…
Ha ha Susan! God bless you for scattering things for others to find so liberally. :)
Joe loses his perscription sunglasses at an alarming rate. Its something we don't talk about anymore. Ever. You are right to find humour in these situations ... I wonder if his sunglasses have ever been found by someone who could use them. I hope so - then they won't be squinting expensively into the sun!
Belinda said…
Dave, ha ha! Poor Joe. That would be my frustration so many times over. But it is possible that someone could use them. One of our pastor's wives once fell into some white water and lost her glasses. She fished around in the water for them and didn't find hers, but found another pair--that were her prescription!

Popular posts from this blog

Movies

Ere Zij God--Glory to God in the Highest! A Dutch Carol

Samson Beaver and his Family