FINDER OF LOST THINGS

“Do you know where the silver cooler bag is?” My son Alex called to me from the kitchen.

I grabbed the remote and muted the show I was watching. “Pantry cabinet, bottom shelf, under my Mom’s blue Dutch oven pot.” I called back from the living room.

I kept the show muted until I heard him say, “Got it!”

I couldn’t help but smile as I turned the volume back up. I loved my super power! Living in a house filled with guys, who couldn’t remember where they put anything, certainly helped hone my skill.

My husband Steven came into the room. “Do you know where the white twine is? I need it to tie up the tomato plants in the garden.”

I muted the television again. “In the kitchen, to the right of the stove, middle drawer.”

Steven was headed to the kitchen.

“Look under the cookie sheets, next to the pot holders.” I called out to him.

Once again I waited for him to call out that he’d found it but several seconds had passed by and I didn’t hear anything.

“Did you find it?” I called out.

“It’s not here.” Steven called back. I could hear him moving the metal cookies sheets.

“Are you sure?” I was beginning to doubt my super power. I paused the show and went into the kitchen.

Steven stepped aside to show me that it wasn’t in the drawer. I lifted the cookies sheets and took out the pot holder pointing to the ball of twine.

“It wasn’t there a second ago!” Steven said as he took the twine out of the drawer and headed for the back door.

“It’s another one of my super powers.” I said as I dropped the pot holders back in the drawer and closed it. “I can make things appear when they weren’t there a second ago.”

“Thanks!” Steven said as he went out the back door.

Alex looked over at me, the freezer bag on the counter top next to him. He was laughing as he shook his head. “You can make things appear when they weren’t there a second ago?”

“I can for your Dad.” I laughed. “No matter how detailed I am explaining where something is he can’t seem to find it. He likes it better when I go get it for him.”

“He really doesn’t see it?” Alex looked confused.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea. I just know that’s how it works with him.”

“So why don’t you just get up and get it for him in the first place?”

I walked past him and patted him on the shoulder as I headed back to the living room. “Because that’s not how a marriage works.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?” Alex looked confused as he followed me to the living room holding the freezer bag.

“Let me give you an example.” I said as I sat down on the couch and picked up the remote. “Your Dad is always trying to get me to balance my checkbook each month.” I leaned back and put my feet on the coffee table. “We both know that’s never going to happen.” I looked over at Alex and smiled. “But he’s never going to stop trying.” I held the remote out ready to resume my show. “Just like I’m never going to stop trying to get him to find things for himself.” I couldn’t help but laugh as I shook my head and hit the button. “That’s never going to happen either but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying!”

Alex shook his head as he headed toward his room.

“Some day you’ll see!” I called after him.