The €60 Omen

If life weren't complicated enough . . .

It was the first sunny day we've had in a while and I decided to get out and do a little shopping. Not wanting or needing to wag my big purse around, I put a couple of necessities in my wallet and put my wallet in my coat pocket. Off to shop.

I found a bargain sweater at Zara then walked right across the street to H&M and found a really cute jacket to match a black skirt I already have. Now, here's where it all went wrong. I put my hand in my coat pocket and - you guessed it - no wallet. I frantically dig through all my pockets. Keys, cell phone, kleenex, doggy poop bags, gloves - but no wallet. I frantically search through the little Zara bag - sweater, receipt - but no wallet.

I immediately go back into the dressing room - nothing. Dash back across the street to Zara - nothing. Inquire at the shoe store, the lingerie store, the accessory store nearby - nothing. I frantically text Jim then go to the nearest bank to begin whatever process to cancel my bank card.

Fortunately, the good news is the only things I put in my wallet when I headed out on this day was my Belgium bank card and €60. Sure, I was sick about losing that €60 and the hassle of getting another bank card, but by some miracle I left the following items out of my wallet on this day: my American Express card, my Ruston debit card, my Ruston checkbook, my Visa card, my TX driver's license, my Belgian ID card, my health insurance card, . . .

It's hard to say just how my wallet got out of my pocket, but when Jim got home from work he said "The bank called and somebody returned your wallet." Then he added "With the bank card, but no cash".

Well, I really am glad to get my wallet back and even though I've cancelled the bank card, I'm really glad to know it's not floating around out there. But the €60. Who decided to return my wallet and bank card to the bank? Was it the same person who decided it was okay to steal my €60? After all, my name is on my bank card so they knew whose cash it was. What would you have done?

Consider it your lucky day? Return the wallet and the cash to the bank? Go out and spend my €60?

All I know is what Jim and I would do and what our children would do. If you take something that's not yours, it's stealing. Any way you look at it.

So, I figured this was an omen that I didn't really need that cute jacket to match my black skirt after all.

Yep, there's nothing quite like a perfectly sunny day!