Day 348 - Stress Reduction - Count My Blessings

One of my favorite ways to reduce stress and to feel better about whatever challenges I have going on in my life, is to count my blessings. When I can focus on what is good, I am able to put whatever is troubling me in better perspective. This afternoon I had a really neat experience that reminded me how very blessed I am. Way back in May, my hubby and I traveled up to our cabin and spent the weekend relaxing and taking advantage of the beauty nature has to offer. When we go upstate, we try to support local businesses because they depend heavily on tourist dollars and there are a few shops we go back to time and again. I have a favorite shop in a town called North Creek and I purchased a couple of things for the cabin as well as two silver cuff necklaces. One necklace was for me, and the other was a gift for my step daughter. I was very pleased with my purchase and I couldn't wait to wear my the silver necklace and to see if my step-daughter liked hers as much as I liked mine.

When I got home from our trip I could only find one necklace, the one I had put in a gift box for my step-daughter. The other necklace, as well as the other items were in a small gift bag, but nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere I could think to look and was finally convinced that the next time we went back to the cabin, I would find that bag. But I was sure I had packed it in the car, so it was a real mystery. Knowing my fibro brain, I couldn't be sure I was remembering correctly. So here I was left with just the one, very pretty silver necklace. I have to admit, that when it was time to give the silver necklace to my step-daughter, it was very hard to part with it, because I loved it so much. But, I gave it away, just as I had planned and was happy that she liked it. When we got back to the cabin in July it was clear that I hadn't left it there and it remained a mystery as to how it could have just disappeared. Oh, well.

Last night when we got back to the cabin, the message light on the land line phone was bright red, so I played back my messages. Imagine my surprise when I heard from the shop in North Creek saying they had my bag! The fella from the town dump found it and returned it to the store. The shopkeeper searched my name on google and tracked me down to let me know that she had my items waiting for me! Seems when my hubby took the garbage out of the back of our vehicle, the gift bag dropped out without him noticing it. The man at the town dump picked it up and then drove thirty minutes to return it to the store, hoping they would figure out who it belonged to. Incredible. I count it among my blessings to be able to spend time in a little town that knows what honesty and integrity means. I am blessed that there was someone willing to go out of his way for a gift bag of trinkets, just because it was the right thing to do. I am blessed that the honest shopkeeper didn't just put those items back on the shelf to sell again. I keep shaking my head in amazement. What are the chances?? Actually, pretty good when counting blessings is a way of life.