Lost and Found

I lost my keys…or so I thought. 

The first week of December we had our Women’s Christmas Party.  I needed to drive Philip’s truck to the party and before I left that evening, I took my church keys off my key ring, put them on Philip’s key ring, and returned my keys to the appropriate spot on the counter. 

I returned late that evening.  I put Philip’s keys next to my keys and quickly crawled into bed.  I knew I needed to move my church keys back over to my key ring in the morning, but it could wait.  I am glad I didn’t do it because in the morning…

My keys were gone.

I looked everywhere.  I pulled out the Christmas decoration boxes and looked through everything.  The entire Christmas holiday was spent looking for my keys.  I looked at church.  I looked in the cars.  I looked in our closets, coat pockets, and drawers.  I guess they were lost forever.  Can you hear my sadness? 

Last week (3 months later), I was sorting through Mason’s school papers.  I realized that his backpack was dirty and needed to be cleaned out.  As I was wiping out his bag, my hand hit something hard.  I reached in his bag and pulled out a set of keys.  I danced with delight!  Then it hit me.  My son stole my keys.

I went upstairs to ask Mason if he knew anything about the crime.

He giggled.  “Oh.  Now I remember.”

“Remember what?”  I inquired.

Face red and turned down to the floor, “Well, I didn’t want to go to school and I thought if I hid your keys we could stay home and eat cookies.  (We exchange cookies at the party.)  I didn’t know you had an extra set and we still had to go to school.  I forgot about them in my backpack.”

I didn’t know what to do or say.  I had a thousand thoughts of how I should punish him.  He stood there looking up at me and I stood there looking down at him.  There was silence between us.  I could feel it happening.  I knew the corners of my mouth were starting to turn up.  I was losing my parenting moment.

Unfortunately I was unable to gain control of my giggles.  When in doubt of appropriate action, laugh...and laugh is exactly what I did.

My keys were lost and now they are found…just like me.

Living Completely Undone