Easier Said Than Done

I know they were just earrings.

But they were special.

"Were" being the key word...

On our first Christmas that Mike and I were married, he bought me a pair of REAL pearl earrings. I love pearls (even more than diamonds), but all I had ever been able to afford was the cheap costume jewelry. Not that there is anything wrong with that, heck most of my jewelry is that way. That's why these were special. I loved them and wore them often, UNTIL...

A dreadful thing happened. My ears got infected after I purchased a cheap pair of earrings (I told you most of my jewelery is fake), and wore them for just one day (I can't sleep in earrings, weird I know). Before you wonder, yes, I did clean them before wearing (even the thought of not doing so is too gross). I don't know what went wrong; they were hypoallergenic. But my ears got badly infected. Those cheap earrings really had an adverse effect on me. I still can not wear earrings (even expensive ones) without them getting infected again. Strange?

Anyhow, back to the matter at hand. A few Sunday's ago, I decided to wear my pearl necklace (another Christmas gift from Mike---and they are real too). My ears had cleared up, and so I decided to give earrings another chance. I turned to my good 'ole faithful pearls. But, I could not find them anywhere. I have torn this house apart looking for them. I have asked Mike and the girls. No one has seen them. They have disappeared.

Do you know what it feels like to be searching for something you love and can't find it? It reminds me a bit now of Ann's blog about The Red King. Although her story is a bit different, it's still the same. The need to find something.

Mike, the ever optimistic, says his famous words: "They'll show up. They've got to be around here somewhere."

But I just don't believe it. I've searched and searched to no avail. And I'm really good at finding things. Whenever anyone in our family is missing something, they mention it to me and I go on a rampage until it is found (I wish they did the same for me). It's been a good two weeks and they have not shown up.

Ariel reminded me of the very thing that I always remind her of: "If you put them back where they were suppose to be, you would be able to find them."

Don't you hate it when your own teaching logic comes back and bites you in the butt??

So, I sit here typing about it. Hoping something will jog my memory, and I will remember where they are. And hoping, too, that they did not get vacuumed up (as Ariel also reminded me of).

And I'm really sad. Sad. Sad. Sad. Again, I know they are just earrings, but I loved those things. I was hoping to pass them down to Cecily along with the pearl necklace (Ariel is getting my engagement ring someday).

Yesterday, there was a baptism at church and I wore my pearl necklace, minus the earrings. Sobb....

I always tell my girls that there is a lesson to be learned in all life experiences. What's mine for this one? It's just a material possession. You can't take it with you. There are more important things in life than pearl earrings.

I know, I know. Trust me I know. I should not put so much stock in a material possession. I'm not a "scriptorian", but all those scriptures (although badly misquoted) keep popping in my head about not focusing on the things of the world. Again, I know this is true, but I guess the natural man in me realizes that it's easy to say, but hard to let go.