The Bracelet

Its been mentioned in previous posts - the bracelet - and here it is. What??? Did you expect more? It is a simple green beaded bracelet, but Evelyn *L*O*V*E*S* it! She wears it daily and I think it truly brings her comfort. Sure there have been other bracelets, but this is the one she always goes back to.

I fear for the day we lose this bracelet and there have been some close calls for sure. I have searched far and wide many a day for this bracelet. Its been found so many places, but thankfully always found. For example, it was once underneath the rug in the kitchen (we looked for it for 2 days before we found it there). Once it was, gasp, left outside. I found it that time with a flashlight late at night. After our babysitter came one night we could not find it the next day. We had to text her and it was of all places put up with the other bracelets. :)

But perhaps the best story of lost and found of this bracelet was actually the first time we really lost it. I remember it all so clearly. It was a Monday. Kevin was out of town for a few days. I went to a church meeting in the morning and then went straight to the grocery store from church. I distinctly remember seeing Evelyn playing with her bracelet on the way to the grocery store. We did our grocery run in a yellow and red car cart, came home, ate lunch, had our nap, played and around 4ish, Evelyn asks for her bracelet. We look and look and look. It is no where in this house.

I begin replaying the day and it hits me...we lost it at the grocery store. I tell Evelyn that I think the bracelet is gone. She begins to cry. I distract her, we play and then she asks for the bracelet and it starts all over again. So I do what any Mother would do, I load up all 3 kids at 5:00 to go brave the traffic at the grocery store to find that yellow and red car cart in the hopes that the bracelet is in the bottom of the car part of the cart. I even called the grocery store on the way asking them if they had a little green, plastic bracelet turned in. I think they laughed at me.

I think Evelyn was holding on to all hope that the bracelet was there because as soon as we pulled into the parking lot and she saw a car cart, she started squealing and kicking and pointing with excitement. You could see the hope in her eyes. I park and go check with probably just as much hope as Evelyn had. I just knew we were gonna see a green bracelet on the floor of that shopping cart. I bent down and looked and my heart broke as I saw the floor of the car cart had slats in it about the width of the bracelet. Oh no, it was gone.

I got back in the car and told Evelyn the sad news. Sweet Josie then says, 'maybe its in another car cart.' Poor Evelyn buys into this hope and so I drive around the parking lot looking for another red and yellow car cart. I find one, I stop. Evelyn again, squeals with excitement ready to hold the bracelet again. I realize its futile, but for some reason, I get out and check the red and yellow car cart as well as the blue and green car cart just beside it. Nothing - they are empty.

I get in the car, and again, tell Evelyn how sorry I am and that the bracelet is gone. We drive out of the parking lot and almost as if Evelyn realized all of her hope was leaving in the car with us, she begins to sob. Not a fit cry, but a true cry. She was mourning the loss of something she loved. It broke my heart.

Dinner was normal, we did baths and after bath, we cleaned up the living room and bedrooms before going to bed. I grabbed Josie's Hello Kitty cloth lunchbox to put it in her room with the other bags and when I grabbed it, it shook a bit as if something were inside the lunchbox. I peeked and sure enough - it was THE BRACELET!!!!

I quickly zipped it back up and told Evelyn to come look inside the Hello Kitty lunchbox. She came running and when she saw the bracelet, her face lit up with such joy and relief and happiness! It was pure, innocent happiness. She danced, she giggled, she stared in awe.