The Prodigal Sunglasses
Thankfully I've got a good looker!
My gratitude for today is easily articulated. Here’s the story that unfolded since yesterday…
Since I’ve been doing all the driving in recent months due to Scott’s chemo-induced neuropathy in his feet, I discovered a real problem with glare. The sunglasses I’ve had for years were not cutting it so a new pair was in order. I consulted the internet for a pair that fit my needs and purchased a pair that checked all the boxes for me. I’ve been enjoying them for several months now and they continue to help me look stylish as well as drive safely.
Well, until yesterday when I realized they weren’t where they should be. What??? Where in the world could they be? I started the usual questioning of myself…
When was the last time I wore them? (My best recollection was Friday afternoon when I had them in my hand upon returning from Mom’s house.)
What did I do with them when I got home?
Did I leave them in the car or bring them into the house?
Did they get lost in the pile of jackets and packs we set down once we got home?
Did I leave them beside the refrigerator in the garage when I put our leftovers away?
Did they get covered by the laundry I’d folded over the weekend?
Were they on the ottoman next to my keys, in my pack or pocket?
Did I leave them somewhere?
Did they fall into the closet when I was hanging up jackets?
When none of the “logical” places unearthed them, I got creative…
I literally scoured the house: Did they end up in the fridge, freezer, trash, recycling or under some piece of furniture? I checked kitchen drawers, the bedroom, basement, bathroom - places I KNEW my sunglasses have never been, yet I just had to prove they weren’t there.
I was despondent; I’m not a person who loses track of things! I drove us to Scott’s PET scan and our haircut appointments today sans sunglasses on this sunny spring day, massively lamenting my lack of driving shades. We brainstormed and searched all afternoon and only led to deeper and deeper disappointment when my quickly-diminishing list of places to look continued to turn up nothing.
What was I going to do on our vacation in New Mexico (we leave on Saturday( without my sunglasses? They’re essential gear for the dessert sun! I was descending into a pit of despair and overwhelm: “You’re a grown-ass woman - why can’t you keep track of your shit?!”
After several more hours of self-flagellation, I broke down and ordered another pair from Amazon that would arrive by Friday. I breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded with my evening, feeling like the situation was handled; I would have desert-worthy sunglasses after all.
Tonight between TV shows, Scott and I emptied the dishwasher.
As he was putting away the plates, he suddenly asked me, “Did you bring a bag of grocery bags from Mom’s house?”
“Yeah, the ones that fit in the kitchen trash can,” I replied.
”Where are they?” he asked.
I proceeded to retrieve the bag o’bags from beside the refrigerator, simultaneously having the thought that must have spurred his question… Could the sunglasses have slipped into the bag among the things we brought in on Friday afternoon after visiting with Mom?
The second I glanced into the grocery bag full of other bags, I saw them - my sunglasses! Alas, my prodigal sunglasses have returned!
When I was very young, Grandma Bessie lived with us. One day when I’d lost something and Grandma tracked it down, there’s a family story that recounts that I responded by calling her a “Good Looker.” Cute, right? Well, my fella, in every sense, is a good looker!
New Mexico, here we come… Shine on!
Cheers!🍸#GratefulNightcap