I’ve Lost It!

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Where is it? I cannot find it. I knew this would happen. I was certain of it.  The darn thing is so small, after all. Who can blame me for losing it? Especially since it didn’t belong to me. It was bound to happen!

I search where I last saw it. In my purse. But then I like to change out purses, so I check them all. Every single compartment of every purse, even the ones I haven’t used in years because you never know. Nada.

As far as I know, Henry has never lost anything and doesn't understand what the fuss is about.

Wait. I remember thinking that leaving it in my purse was too risky—and I moved it. I put it in a dish in the dining room area. No, wait! I put it in a cup, or was it a little ceramic snowman box that I’d put out for the holidays? Darn it! I just packed up all the holiday paraphernalia, which means I won’t find it until next year!

No, wait. I remember thinking it would be silly to put it in a holiday container knowing that I would soon be packing it away. Whew. I did, however, put it somewhere. Wait! I remember telling my daughter to watch me put it in—where was it? Well, she’ll know! All I have to do is ask her and she’ll remember because she’s young and has the mind of a—

Good grief! I just asked her and she has no idea! She doesn’t remember me asking her to watch me put it away in the safe place. No, wait!

She just remembered. I did ask her and it was somewhere in the living room. Or was it the kitchen? Or, did I leave it with Colonel Mustard in the conservatory?

I search and I search, leaving no stone unturned as well as no pot, no blender, no sofa and no coffee table. I will find it, I will find it, I will find it. That’s my mantra.

I can’t find it. I can’t find it. It’s not here! It grew legs and walked out. Left the house in a bold move, taunting me, daring me to find it. No wait!

Maybe it’s upstairs. Yeah, that’s the ticket. I must have taken it upstairs without realizing it. Maybe it clung to my clothing or fell into my jeans’ pocket. I will search upstairs and I’m sure to find it. I have to. After all, it’s not mine!

Oh, why did anyone entrust me to hold it for them? Don’t they know I have too much on my mind and can’t remember every detail, like what I wore yesterday, much less, where I’ve placed things? It started with my first pregnancy, which sucked the brain cells right out of my head. Losing things just  became old hat to me. It’s a wonder I have anything left!

It’s not upstairs. I have searched high and low, backwards and forwards, and to and fro.

I have questioned my children, one at a time. I even tried to trip them up to see if they’d confess. No dice.

My daughter asks, “So how much is this thing worth anyway?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“You’ve been looking all day, so I imagine it must cost a lot to replace.”

“That’s not the point.”

“How much?”

“I’m not sure.”

“How much?” She persists.

“Okay–okay! It cost $20! Are you happy?”

“Then just get her a new one and stop this crazy search!”

Crazy? You don’t know crazy! Were it that easy. I have so much at stake. I’ve invested so much time already. I can’t stop.

I can’t stop!

I must find it or admit defeat. It has to be here, it just has to!

It’s not here. It’s simply not here. I must stop. I have to stop.

Wait.

I didn’t check the garage. I bet it’s there! Yeah, that’s the ticket!

Gotta look. Gotta go!

So, tell me. Has this ever happened to you?

52 thoughts on “I’ve Lost It!”

  3. Oh Monica, I love this post. I have lost it and found it more times than I can count and like you say, once I have stopped my frantic search for my very precious thing, it comes to me when I least expect it. Quite often I have had to give up… Sigh!!!
    I am watching the Globes, only saw Colin and Livia once, but they look gorgeous.

    • I’m so glad to see I’m not alone in my misfortune. Now that I’ve stopped looking for the thing I wrote about here, maybe this too will show up. I’m keeping my fingers crossed! I was out last night and didn’t watch the Golden Globes, though I did record it, so I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for Colin and Livia. Thanks for the heads up!

  4. The day we moved into our house I slipped my engagement ring off and put it…somewhere.
    Six months later, six o’clock in the morning, I’m “nesting” cleaning the bathroom top to bottom. I reach into the linen cabinet to remove a stack of towels and there it is, just sitting there. I guess we never get to the bottom of that stack. And I never sweated finding it, I knew it would turn up. I have a lot of experience hiding things and not being able to find them. Every year there is at least one Christmas present I find in February.
    The worst time was when I was still a jeweler and I had 20k in diamonds on me but was going away to the weekend. When I got home I hadn’t walked more than five feet into the apartment when I realized I had no idea where I’d hidden the packet. That was a tense few hours. I stopped doing business at home after that too.

  5. Smiles – my daughter told me once, when you’re looking for something, you’ll never find it. Smart words from a twelve year old. Always my pleasure, stopping by.

  7. I once wrapped my cell phone in a Christmas package. The battery had died by the time I thought to try calling it and I was convinced it had been lost while shopping. After changing my number, buying and activating new phone, imagine seeing it tumble out as the present was unwrapped. Yikes.

  8. I was getting frantic reading this! Tall person says that a good tip is to say to yourself “I am putting X here”. It really does help 🙂

    P.S. Don’t say “X” – you have to name the thing you are putting away 🙂

    • Bassa, That’s what I tried to do. Put it in a safe place and said where I was putting it to my daughter, as I was doing it. We both forgot, though, where that safe place was. But maybe saying “X” will help next time. I’ll also write it down and tape it to the fridge. I’ve never lost the fridge–yet.

  9. I understand your frustration. I hate losing things. It’s such a waste of time looking for them. I’ve often wondered how much time I’ve invested in looking for things over the course of my life. My mom loses things and will blame somebody for stealing her stuff. One time, it was a blouse. I said, “Oh, somebody broke in your house and all they wanted was that blouse?” Today, I have to search for some very important forms and it’s like, ‘Gee, here I go again.’

  10. You make me smile. I often wonder how much of life I have wasted looking for something I have placed in a ‘special place’. I’d probably have at least three extra years of life to live if only I’d remember where that place was. Of course, you will find whatever it is you lost (always) when you are not looking for it. You know you will… really you will. I found my little writer’s notebook (after hysteria and drama untold) today. Was I looking for it? No. I am in Santa Fe tonight, and guess what. I had packed that little notebook in my luggage at Christmas when I was visiting my mom and never unpacked it. I thought it was lost. But there it was when I wasn’t looking for it. Had to laugh. Now, I have to apologize to the husband for accusing him of losing. OH… really, do I have to? Great build up in the the write, btw..I was hanging, wondering if we’d find it alongside of you.

    • Brenda, that’s so funny, how you found your little notebook. That once happened to me, in which I left something in my suitcase that I looked and looked for. But it took a whole year before I used that suitcase again and found it. Yeah, we do spend a lot of time looking for stuff. Thanks for stopping by!

  12. Oh man. This sounds all too familiar! But actually….it’s my youngest son who this happens to WAY more than anyone else I know, and it dives us all crazy trying to help him find whatever it is. Hope you find your $20 THING!

  14. Okay, I have to ask, what the hell are you looking for exactly? hee hee! You made me spurt out my coffee with this one! “I can’t find it. I can’t find it. It’s not here! It grew legs and walked out. Left the house in a bold move, taunting me, daring me to find it.: bwhahahaha! OMG, been there, said that! I could literally feel you spiraling out of control, and you’re right, after three hours or so of looking for something, I’m not stopping! I shall find it or die in the process! In Spain they pray to “San Bailon” a saint who helps you find things. However, there’s a caveat, once you find the item, you have to dance for him. The petition goes something like this, “San Bailon, San Bailon, si me ayudas, te bailo un son!” You have no idea how many “sons” I’ve danced! 🙂

    • Oh, Bella, I’m so glad you enjoyed it because, seriously, I have my head screwed on backwards. I forgot where I put it and I finally had to listen to my daughter and drop the search. Maybe next year, when I unpack the holiday stuff again, or years from now, when I pack up and move, I’ll find it. Until then, I just had to let it go. It probably joined my missing Swiss watch which I purchased a few years ago on my trip to Europe. I loved that watch and one day, less than a year later, it disappeared in the nooks and crannies of this house. Another search that proved futile.

  15. It’s really bad when you put something in a special place so you won’t lose it and then can’t remember what special place that something is in.

  16. This sort of thing often happens to me when my mind is otherwise occupied — like if I’m thinking of putting something in a safe place while talking to a friend on my cell phone about something totally unrelated. Maybe the mind can’t multi-task as well as we think it can!

    • I agree, but in this case I remember really trying to make an effort to remember where I was putting it. And I even showed it to my daughter to make sure I had backup in remembering. Turns out, I picked the wrong child. I should have told my son where I was putting it. Oh, well. Next time.

  17. I spent an hour yesterday looking for our bread machine. (This is not a small item!) I finally decided that I’d given it away and it turned up behind the crock pot. Clearly I don’t cook enough if I can’t find a large appliance in my kitchen.

  19. That IS me, but the funny thing is that i am also the one finding things for others. I never find the things i have “put somewhere”, but within few minutes i am able to find other’s objects, just by thinking the way they do. I know how each one would be thinking, and i follow that hint and that’s it 🙂

  20. Once I walked down the hallway with a pitcher of water in one hand and a bottle of katsup in the other. I was half way to my bedroom when I realized what I had in my hands. I just shook my head, went back to the kitchen and put the items away. I haven’t anyone’s anything yt, but I’d sure like to know the last place I had my brains!

  21. Ifelt your panic and frustration! I do that ALL THE TIME! i had bought my daughter an adorable little wallet for her stocking this past Christmas. You think for the life of me I can remember where I “hid” it? I still haven’t found that thing! You were right in answering your daughter that the cost is not the issue – it’s the fact that we can’t remember!
    Last year I complained to my doctor that I thought I was losing my mind! I told her I can’t seem to remember anything! She answer that if she had a nickel for every time she heard that complaint from a forty-something woman, she could have retired long time ago. That’s reassuring, doc, but no help whatsoever. No help.
    Hope you find your marbles 😉

    • Well, I hope you find your daughter’s wallet soon. And, Astra, I agree with you. Your doctor’s reassurance is no help in the least. Not when you’re saying it to a woman who could easily contribute to her retirement, now that my marbles have disappeared down the drain.

  22. Lol, Monica! Wish I could say that I have NO idea what you’re talking about :-). Here’s a tip passed along to me by my great Irish grandmother when you can’t find something: offer up this little prayer to St. Anthony:

    “St. Anthony, St Anthony,
    Turn around.
    Something’s lost
    That must be found.”

    Just continue saying this, as a mantra, until you find what you lost. I am constantly amazed how often this has worked for me! Of course, I might not find the lost item until months later, but still . . .

    • Nancy, that sounds like a plan. I’m willing to try anything and this one sounds like a good one. In fact, now I’m remembering that my mother used to swear by St. Anthony. He helped her through a lot of lost items.

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