Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I Left a Piece of My Heart in Michigan...

and my purse in Illinois. We just returned from delivering Mark to Michigan for another year of school. I'm so glad he was home for most of the summer, but yesterday as we were shopping for some necessities in Meijers in Grand Rapids and I realized we would only be together another hour or so my stomach just sank. The saving grace is that he's happy there and doing well.  Now the purse part...
On the way out we stopped for lunch in Illinois. About four hours later I suddenly realized that I had more room than usual around my feet in our tightly packed car and start scrambling around looking for my purse, only to realize I left it at Wendy's in Springfield. DH was about as shaken as I was but pulled into a rest stop, looked up the number for the restaurant and called, saying a prayer that someone had turned it in. And, hooray, employee Josh found it and locked it away in the manager's office. As you can see from my photo, we're not talking about a little, easy-to-overlook bag, but I still managed to turn and walk out of the restaurant without it. Here's the weird part---this is the third time I've forgotten a purse and the other two times have been when we've visited our older son at college in Colorado. I noticed the loss much sooner those times, but I've left it in the Olive Garden and a Wendy's there, too. So is this a strange psychological thing that I do as a physical manifestation of the loss I feel when facing a separation from my sons? Or maybe I'm just preoccupied with getting to our destination and more forgetful than usual. We returned to the restaurant late yesterday on our way home and I was so relieved to retrieve my purse and find everything intact inside. They wouldn't let me leave a tip, but I'm writing Wendys to commend Josh and the rest of the team at the restaurant.

7 comments:

Angela said...

Roberta, I am so thankful there are still some good honest people in this old world. So glad you got your purse and all its contents. I can only imagine how you felt leaving your heart somewhere away from home. Hoping you son will have a great year at school. Glad someone up above was watching out for you. A happy ending.

annie said...

So glad you got it back! Great that Josh kept it for you. There are still some honest people in the world! Probably distraction in leaving your kids behind! I know how that feels!

Judy C said...

Glad you got your purse back, nice to know and hear that there are some honest good people out there.

Unknown said...

Oh Roberta, something about sending our baby birds off just makes us loose our wits does it not?
Take comfort in the fact that we have all been there.
I drove off with mine on the roof of the car, after loading baby in his car seat. Thank goodness it wasn't the reverse LOL!
Fortunately you had such an honest person find it.... now take a big deep breath!
Barbie Jo

Me and My Stitches said...

Isn't it a horrible feeling when you realize your purse is gone? We have an inside family joke about purses. When my Grandma was in the later stages of Alzheimers and in the nursing home, she would often say "Where's my purse??!!!" and get all worked up, thinking someone stole it. Mom finally took a purse there for her, so we could show it to her and make her feel better. Now we all constantly are saying "Where's my purse" then laughing at the memories. Glad you found yours!

TheCrankyCrow said...

That is truly an odd phenomena Roberta - probably does have more to do with letting go of your sons than you realize....So glad you got it back...I lost a ring last week - realized it within an hour or two, and had a pretty good idea of where I had lost it....went back and retraced my steps - but, unfortunately, no Josh working there! :o( Hoping your son has a great year at school....Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin

Raymond Homestead said...

So glad you got your purse back. That is always a scary ordeal. I think you're mind is just so preoccupied at those times, especially when you are thinking about your kids!