Everyone has their thing. Their quirk, oddity, crazy-inducer…whatever you want to call it. Just ONE of mine is losing things. I literally go ape. Just ask my husband the time my wallet sprouted legs last October.

So what is a girl to do when it happens three times in one day? Grow up, I say.

Last Sunday started with the realization that my camera was lost the night before.  Traveling downtown in the city in a group with my brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, cousin and my brood of three got a little distracting at times. I remember taking candid shots at a new park my kids and I had never tried.  The lighting was perfect, Techno, Twinkle and Little Bee were loving it and we were having so much fun…What did I do with it?

Out of nowhere some grown-up voice says “J., you JUST put in a new memory card two days ago. Big deal.  So you lost two days’ worth of shots.  And you hate your camera anyway.  Whoo hoo!  Time to get a new one finally!” Who IS this person?

As this is unfolding and plans are already being made to race to Best Buy sometime this week, I lose my husband.  Ice was in a softball tournament this weekend.  His self-described “favorite weekend of the year”. We had a family birthday party to attend.  It started at 1:30. It’s nearing that time with no word on the outcome of his last game.  The game was at 11 in the morning.  What is taking so long?  No call.  It’s his brother’s party. Are we driving together? Or separate? Is he coming home first? Should I just leave with the kids?  What if something happened to him? What if he got hit in the head with a softball?

I got in touch with my sister-in-law and no one had heard from him at the party.  Okay kids, time to get in the car and go find Daddy. We can handle this.

As we get in the car, it dawns on me one last place I have not scoured for the lost camera.  I open the center console. Bingo!  Camera found.

By this time we are more than slightly late for the party.  Ice’s phone was dialed no less than five times.  No answer. A little anxiety is creeping in. We are halfway to the ball diamond and the phone rings.  Ice is probably wondering why all the stalking.  He informs me he had a game at one o’clock too.  I was not privy to this information. Relief…and mild frustration. But overwhelmingly the relief wins out and I am just too over it to be the nagging wife.  Camera found. Husband found.  Let the party begin.

After the party was over and we had all returned home I started organizing some household items. The mood struck me and I thought why not?  I was making some headway and then noticed a favorite watch of mine was missing. Really?  Now this is just too much for my lost-o-meter to register in one day.  Did it travel to California in June to be left behind at one of the many hotels we stayed at? Is there a chance it was stolen?  It only sits in this one spot when not worn. Calm down, girl.  It is after all replaceable if need be.

Resolve sets in. This will just not do. My archive of purses in the back of the closet must be delved into. My vacation purse is the beacon I am pinning my hopes to. Unzipping it slowly I peer inside.  Hallelujah!  There lies my sweet reward. What was I thinking?  When did I just leave this semi-precious bauble to be thrown in the back of the closet?  Oh but the dangers of multi-tasking and motherhood.  Who knows what was occurring at the moment I made THAT choice?

Taking a step back and surveying the day brought a tiny sense of satisfaction.  Though my blood-pressure spiked more than a few times on Sunday, I was pleased with the calmer sense that seemed to overcome me than in similar situations in the past. With age comes wisdom it’s been said.  I certainly don’t claim to have much of that but something is going on that this trifecta of loss I experienced didn’t send me on a one-way shuttle to crazy town this time.  Now that’s growing.