Heartbroken

Have you ever misplaced or lost something precious to you?  Well, here is my story.  I needed to return some children's chairs to Kohl's a couple of weeks ago on a Monday morning.  I decided to take a break from life and browse the store for awhile.  I can browse without buying and have lots of fun.  I looked at all the kitchen items three times, home decor items, dishes, glasses, vacuums, candles,  and then found myself in the towels looking at the soft beautiful colors.  I really need towels in the master bath.   My ring snagged on one of the towels which was odd.  I looked down and couldn't believe my eyes.  The diamond was missing from my ring. 

I had the sickest feeling and immediately started searching the towels.  Nothing.  I starting moving all of the towels near by and found nothing.   I traced back over my steps in the store -- even the ladies room.  I was on my hands and knees searching and searching.  I finally ask the manager to help me.  I wanted to go through the trash in the ladies room to see if the stone had fallen out when I washed my hands.  She put on rubber gloves and carefully went through every waded up towel.  Yuck!  And.............nothing.

The store manager then ask a couple of sales staff to help look.  We spent three hours searching and moving displays, etc.  Nothing.  I kept looking at the empty ring thinking the ring would somehow be there.  It wasn't.  On the verge of tears I called Rich.  He was at lunch with Matt and they immediately came to Kohl's.  We searched everywhere again including the parking lot and car.  A couple of people in the parking lot started looking too.  Nothing.  I was sick sick sick.  We all were sick.  Finally, after about three hours,  I reluctantly went home with such a sense of loss trying to remember the exact last time I had seen the stone in the ring.  It sits up so high off my finger, I thought surely I would have noticed if the diamond was missing.  I thought of all of my activities that morning.  Nothing.  I tried to retrace my every step and movement.

Needless to say, my week was a wreck.  I couldn't think of anything except looking for the diamond.  I searched everywhere in the house even on my hands and knees.  Six times.  I took all the bedding off the bed.  Rich looked through the trash at home.  I looked in the car, the garage, and I finally went back to Kohl's as I recalled looking at glasses.  I hurried back thinking surely the ring would be there.  Something made me recall the glasses I had seen but not checked.  Nothing.  A needle in a haystack.  I knew only a miracle could help me find the ring............if it was findable.  Gabe called me to say how sorry she was.  She said to pray hard that she had a good feeling about finding the ring.  I prayed hard many times a day.  I asked that if the ring was findable..................please guide my looking.  But, still nothing.

I finally called the insurance company.............................nope ....................not the extra coverage needed.  The thing is..............this ring was not my original engagement ring, but a very large diamond Rich had given to me about twelve years ago at a huge expense.  I knew we could never replace it.  I really loved that ring.  I wanted the marquis diamond to help elongate my fingers and it did just that.  I kept saying..........................it's a stone.  No one has died.  Stop feeling so mournful.  But I couldn't stop the sadness.  It felt like I had lost something very symbolic.  What a dope.  Why hadn't I checked it recently with the jeweler?  Why hadn't I insured the darn thing.  No answers.  Just kicking myself around the block again and again.  I had to get back to my life. 

On Friday I met with a newly called RS Meeting Coordinator at a restaurant to train her concerning her duties.  I was to meet her at twelve.  I ordered a soda and waited.  She didn't come.  I then noticed my wallet was not in my purse and remembered pulling it out to look at the children's chairs online at Kohl's.  I was ordering different ones than the ones I had returned on Monday.  So here I was sitting at a table with a soda and...................not a dime.  No way to pay for the almost gone soda.  No debit card.  Misty hadn't shown up yet.  Rich out of town.  Hmmmm.  I called Melanie at home knowing she couldn't drive over.  She had a week old baby/ by C-section and couldn't drive, but I ask her if my wallet was on the desk.  She said, "Yes, and you are in luck.  Andrew is right across the street at the grocery store.  He just returned from Fairfax.  I will have him bring you some money."

I hung up and waited.  By 12:35 the friend came and I knew that money was on the way.  So I was saved.  I called Melanie back.  She said that I was not going to believe what just happened.  She had called Andrew and since he was in the grocery store he asked her to check to see if we had any pepperoni in the freezer.  She pulled out the freezer bottom drawer and rifled through the contents.  No pepperoni - but some ice flipped out onto the rug.  The miracle:  One of the pieces of ice was my diamond.  She said,  "I just found your diamond."  I started crying.  She said, "If you hadn't called about the wallet and I hadn't called Andrew to take you some money and he hadn't ask me to check for pepperoni, I would not have been digging in the freezer, and I wouldn't have found your diamond."

Can you even imagine how we all felt?  We had been so sick about the loss, it didn't even seem real.  So the diamond was found. I am all in tears writing about this.  I took it straight to the jewelers for an appraisal for the insurance.  The stone is being reset and I can't wait to get it back.  Wow!  The events that were set in motion  that allowed Melanie to find the diamond were not a coincidence.  Prayers are answered.  Miracles happen.   How grateful and happy I am.  How grateful to have been heard.   Learn the lesson I have now learned.  Check your rings to make sure the settings are tight and get them insured.  My heartbreak ended up being one of my "happily ever after" moments.