The lost - and found - mementos

  Our personal lives are filled with mementos of things we gathered from the people and experiences that have meant so much to us.

  Who among us hasn’t had to go in search of a lost earring or a necklace given to us by a loved one?

In recent weeks, I went into panic mode when I noticed a bracelet with significant meaning was no longer on my wrist in its usual place. The first time that I saw it was missing, turned out to be an easy find. I simply had to retrace my steps of where I’d been that day, fire off a couple of text messages, and within hours, my bracelet was back right where it was supposed to be.

  The second time it came up missing, once again, I retraced where I had been, then quickly hopped in the car and returned to the office parking lot, where I spied the bracelet right on the pavement where, as I recalled, the car door had snagged onto something.

  As it turned out, that “something” was the bracelet.

My attachment to this bracelet isn’t based on its monetary value. It’s more so connected to the story behind why I treasure it. It’s a “daughter” bracelet that my mom had given me I a round-about way. Actually, as she did for so many years, she plunked some money in my birthday card with instructions to buy something for myself that I desired.

  My desire that year was the daughter bracelet.

  Over the weekend, my brother lost a money clip that had about a hundred dollars tucked into it, but it more so the sentimental value that had him scrambling to have back in his pocket where it belonged. The money clip, you see, was my dad’s.

  He called me Sunday evening and told me that he believed it was lakeside in Balaton, Minn., or in the parking lot of a small Minnesota town variety store.

  Not to be pessimistic, but I was sure he’d tucked his last dollars into the money clip. I mean, with no identifying information included in the money clip and a hundred bucks to boot, chances are somebody had found it and was enjoying their unexpected “wealth.”

  Bob, however, had an inkling that he was going to find it.

  After retracing his steps at the lake and calling the store, the money clip was still MIA.

  Amazingly so, it wasn’t long after, and an employee at the store called my brother to let him know that an honest elderly gentleman had just shown up with the money clip and the cash intact.

It’s happy ending stories like this one that restores my faith in mankind. I know there are good people all across this big ol’ world, but sometimes, it’s the small mementos we’ve lost and found, that simply make us smile.

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  There’s a whole lot of activity on tap for Friday at Brandon Valley High School, and I hope you’ll want to take it all in.

  For starters, the annual Brandon Valley Prayer Breakfast with guest speaker former SDSU Coach Stiegelmeier, to take in. I’ve been to every one of our Prayers Breakfasts, and I’m happy to say it’s a great way to start off the weekend.

  Come back later that day for the public unveiling oand ribbon cutting of the new addition at Brandon Valley High School. I’ve had a preview, and I’m here to tell you that I think you’ll be impressed by yet another stellar learning facility.

  Lastly, wrap up the day at the Marching Lynx’s annual Marching and Melon Madness. It steps off at 6 p.m. at the BV Stadium, and there’s always cool slices of watermelon to enjoy afterwards. The band, which has been rehearsing for weeks, will preview their field show, “Solstice.”