The Missing Bag

                       
The Tuesday after MLK day, we were back to the daily grind. We got up Tuesday morning and I made breakfast and lunches. My 10 year old was having a full-on freak out that she couldn't find her brush. "Just check your competition bag," I suggested.
"Where is it?" she asked.
"In your room," I replied.
"No, it's not."
"I put it in there." I ALWAYS put her competition bag in her room when I unload the car.

I went to her room and sure enough, it wasn't there. I must not have unloaded it from the car. I DID get home at 1 in the morning that night and we did have a crazy weekend. "Ask your sister to borrow her brush."

After the morning shuffle, I ushered the kids out the door and I went out to the car to get my daughter's competition bag. It wasn't in my trunk. I went to the suitcases that I had yet to unpack in my bedroom. It wasn't there. Then, I started to panic. I tore apart everything and it was nowhere to be found.

It wasn't just any bag. It's contents included:

competition leotard: $150
warm up jacket: $100
athletic capris: $25
no-show socks: $7
Converse sneakers: $45
grips: $48
grip bag: $17
tiger paws: $50
wrist bands: $6
bun maker and hair accessories: $12
The bag itself was $65.

That's over $500 worth of stuff. MISSING. I don't have $500 to be pissing away. Also, it's not like I can just go on Amazon Prime and re-order every thing. A new leo would take weeks to come in. I was having a full on FREAK OUT. Where could this bag be? I thought back to where I last saw it. The Wendys in Tennessee.

I didn't know which Wendys it was. Just that it was off the Interstate between Knoxville and the North Carolina border. I got on Google and start calling all of the Wendys in that area. None of them had the bag. I was devastated. My panic was quickly turning to desperation. I got on my knees and I prayed.

God, I know you have a lot on your plate. I know people are starving and have cancer and all of that, but I'm going to need you to stop what you're doing and help me find this bag. Please HELP ME.

That's when I had divine intervention. I knew how I would find the bag. I logged onto my bank account and tried to find where they charged my debit card. It had the store number attached to the charge. I googled it and called the Wendys.

I explained my situation and the lady on the other line replied, "I have the bag right here in the office!"
I was so happy, I felt like I'd won the lottery.
"Listen, I live 5 hours away. Is it possible for you to ship it to me?" I asked.
There was a hesitation on the other line. "Well, how would that work? Who would pay for it and send it?"
I was not dealing with a full deck. "You know what? I'm coming right now to get it."

That's what I did. I slipped on my sneakers and walked out of my house and 9 am and just drove to this random Wendys in Tennessee. I called my husband en route and explained the situation. He agreed that it was what had to be done.

 I made the best of it. I had recently put together a playlist of forgotten 90's songs, so I listened to that. I spent time alone with my thoughts (which can be frightening), I ate lunch in a gas station and read the news. It went by quick.

I pulled into the Wendys five hours later. I'm pretty sure I looked like a homeless person. I went to the counter and asked for the bag and they brought it out. I've never been so happy to see a book bag in my life. I opened it up and took an inventory. Everything was as she had left it. I looked up at the Wendy's lady. "Can I hug you?" She smiled, "Yes!" She was excited too. For some reason that I don't understand. I thanked them and drove straight home.

I pulled in my driveway at 8 pm. Eleven hours after I had left. I was greeted by my husband and both girls. My youngest looked so nervous, "I'm so sorry, mom." I think she thought that I was going to be mad at her.

It never even occurred to me to be upset at her about it. I was just so happy that the bag was found. My daughter did not leave the bag on purpose. It was a long day of competing, I was rushing her. It was a careless mistake, but it was just a mistake. Did it suck to have to drive to Tennessee and back in one day? Yeah. Was it inconvenient? Sure. But it wasn't the end of the world. Sometimes your kids are going to throw their toys in your toilet, or vomit in your hair, or leave an important item in a random Wendy's five hours away - you can expect life with children to be messy and inconvenient and unexpected. That's okay because it's also beautiful and amazing and short-lived. I feel blessed and grateful; even after 11 hours of driving.

"I saw that Jim Gaffigan has new stand-up on Netflix. Let's pop some popcorn and watch it together," I suggested. That's what we did. It was a good ending to an exhausting day.

We settled into the couch and my husband put his arm around me. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel like I'm in a constant state of motion and my butt hurts so bad," I groaned.
"I'm still not going to rub Bengay on it," he replied. I laughed out loud.