Lost and found

Have you ever found something that you’ve lost, something precious and valuable to you, something which you’ve given up hope of ever finding again? If you are like me who tries to keep track of each and every small piece of junk that belongs to you, a lost item, however worthless it seems, is a cause of sleepless nights, a ceaseless frown on your brow, making you lost in thoughts when more important things are happening around you. People often ask, is something wrong, what’s on your mind, what’s bothering you…and words to that effect. And what could you say, my favorite shirt is lost in the black hole of the washerwoman’s laundry pile? I lent my beautiful shoes to a friend and it’s been six months and she has no intention of returning it and I don’t want to ruin a friendship over a pair of shoes but I wish I could wear those shoes just one more time before their lifetime is over? Nobody wants to listen to those sad little stories that don’t affect them directly. We live in a busy, selfish world.

So there you are, occupying that small space, seemingly happy with your daily routine, a fake smile pasted on your face, but with that niggling thought always present at the back your mind: where are you, will I ever find you again, I have a wedding to attend tomorrow and nothing to wear. You spend days sulking, moping around, uncommunicative, and needlessly worrying over something that is beyond your control. People whisper and tiptoe around you. But suddenly one day it comes back to you, it gets returned, or it was hidden in a small corner all the time. You know the feeling of relief and happiness that floods you, no more waiting, no more wondering where it might be and who it might be with, it has come back to you and you couldn’t ask for more. You may even feel like calling your friends and neighbors together and saying “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”