by Ruchi
Losing stuff.
For those of you that were at Shabbat at the Greens' you know that the saga of losing something can have some pretty weird outcomes. Here's what happened to me.
I lost my rings (wedding band and engagement ring), something which happens every now and then. This time they went missing for a week. I always panic that this might happen, and now it really did. I tried not to freak out, telling myself, Listen, these rings represent your marriage. But you have your marriage! So you don't have the symbol? But you have the real thing! It's OK.
I felt pretty confident that this was a test, and that perhaps by staying calm and maintaining perspective about the important things in life, I was passing my test. Thus I would probably subsequently find my rings, once proper perspective was maintained. Or not, but it would be OK. PS: I did, indeed find my rings, a few days later in my coat pocket (???).
At Sunday school, unsolicited, two women were sharing with me that they felt that they had gotten to a place of good perspective on materialistic things, but each had nevertheless lost something that was important to her, and was trying to make peace with it.
I shared my experience, and expressed the concept that once we "pass the test," the test goes away because you no longer need to be challenged in that arena. It would be like taking a driving test once you already have a driver's license (not a bad idea for some). I mentioned that I felt that by passing the test, it seemed likely to me that the lost objects would be found. Part of "passing the test" was also the custom to give a donation to tzedaka and say a prayer to find your lost item - again, recognizing a greater perspective and seeing order and meaning in the world.
The NEXT DAY - I kid you not - I received an email from one of the women that she had found what was missing.
Things that make you go hmmmm...
