The Case of the Missing Earring!

We were packing up from a lovely retreat weekend in Cambria, CA. It is one of my favorite places to visit when I need to recharge and have some time to get work done that requires a creative spark. 

As I was packing up my jewelry, I noticed one earring was missing from a pair I loved. This was one of my favorite earrings, so I immediately began to scramble around looking for the lost one. 

Over the years, I have lost earrings, and often, the loss remains a mystery to me. I have lost earrings in my house, and even when I moved (and cleared out everything), I never found them! 

I lost an earring not long ago while on a walk in Downtown Ojai. It just fell out and I didn’t even notice. I retraced my steps and, like magic, there it was! Silver shining on the dirty sidewalk. 

I usually lose just one earring, which is frustrating. I have trouble getting rid of that remaining earring (maybe I’ll find its partner) and have quite a collection of misfits stored away. 

I have managed to hold onto most of my earrings. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me. Some I have had for over 30 years. 

In the search for this one earring — the Cambria one — I looked everywhere. Under the bed. In every room of the house. Even places it could not possibly have been. 

It was nowhere to be found. 

I just couldn’t imagine what had happened to it. The remaining earring was not in a precarious position at all. I knew I had not carelessly tossed it anywhere. It was not the type that could fall out without my noticing. 

There was NO logical explanation! 

I decided to call the rental place to alert them, in case the cleaners miraculously found it somewhere I had missed looking. 

As I was unpacking, I was hoping to find it among my things. No such luck. 

No logical explanation puzzled me the most. 

Then, as I was putting my jewelry away on my dresser at home, I saw something that surprised me. The lone earring. 

At first, I thought it was the one I had brought back from my trip. Then I realized it was the missing one! I had only brought one earring on the trip. 

I appreciate that you have read this far and trust that I will give you some reason for giving me your precious time and attention. 

What came to me after finding that earring was the thought that had been running in my head all day. 

There was no logical reason. There was no logical explanation. None I could think of anyway. 

That was the aha for me. 

“How often do I have that thought?” I wondered. Completely ruling out a logical explanation that hadn’t occurred to me, but might be available should I get curious. 

How often do I simply move on without being open and curious to find out more, to discover something new or surprising? 

Sometimes things do happen without any logical explanation, but I imagine far more often we just don’t see the whole picture. 

My intention is to learn from this little experience, perhaps something big and worthwhile. To stay open to possibilities even when I can’t imagine what they could possibly be.

To remember that there are things at work beyond what I can grasp, come up with in the moment, or understand. 

I am committed to being open to the magic and miracles and the everyday surprises. 

I hope you will join me.