Lost and Found

Monday after work I went shopping. Somewhere in my purchasing-induced euphoria, I didn't feel one of my earrings drop out of my ear. Later on at dinner, my mother asked me if I had intentionally taken the piece out, not seeing the other earring still intact. I panicked, grabbing for the phantom pearl. It wasn't there. I searched myself, my pockets, my bags--no luck. My mind flashed back to the turtleneck I tried on at J Crew. That was when it happened, I was sure. Later on, I called J Crew and Ann Taylor--where I'd also been, just in case instincts were wrong--and no such luck. Yesterday I walked there, and, well, same story. I began to imagine someone cleaning the store, sweeping the piece in with the rest of the garbage. Or the vacuum going across and capturing it. The images were painful. It wasn't the most valuable earring I owned, but it was pretty nice (especially considering my jewelry collection is still developing). My parents had given it to me a few years back.
Today, though, I was reminded that there are bigger things in life than lost earrings--even if they are silver and pearl. I had been so upset and frustrated with this missing thing that I had lost some perspective. So, as I type now, the earring is still lost, but something bigger is found.