our precious things

". . .And all our precious things have become a ruin." - Isaiah 64:11d NASB

I had a watch.  It was the latest of the late eighties or possibly early enough in the 90s that there was no functional difference in fashion.  The watch was a dark metalic purple, and it had what I can only describe as a wristband made of tightly coiled Slinky, also colored metallic purple.  It was uncomfortable to wear because the coils would pinch hair and even skin sometimes, but did I mention it was shiny? 

It was a gift from my mother despite her better judgment, I think.  She was afraid I would break it or lose it because, as a tomboy, I was not particularly nice to my clothes, and as a dreamer, I was not good at keeping track of my possessions.  No matter how hard I tried, my things always seemed to get lost, torn, or broken. 

I don't know if she bought it because I actually showed interest in something that might have been considered a fashion accessory (in the 80s).  I suspect this was the case.  I liked it a lot for some reason.  I took it with me to camp, and I vowed to keep careful track of it.  I would not lose this thing.

To this day, I firmly believe I didn't lose it.  I know I put it with my shirt and shorts and shoes before I went to swim in the pool, and when I came back, it was gone.  At first I thought it just fell out of my shorts pocket, but I searched every inch of that grass by the pool all the way out to the fences, and it was not there. 

I searched way past a reasonable amount, determined that for once I would not lose something my mother had given me.  I searched because I knew that if I came back without it, even if it was stolen, she would look at me with that sad, "How can you be my daughter?" look.  I searched with tears of frustration and rage because someone stole something from me when I was actually keeping track of it and not losing it, and my mom was going to sigh and dismiss me and remind me once again that I was not her favored child, this time because some bad girl stole this thing I was trying to prove myself with. 

When I tried, I still failed in this arena.

After that, I never asked for anything perishable or expensive because what's the point if it can be stolen even if you're being careful.  The world is that kind of place sometimes.  Best not to get too attached to anything valuable if you are only going to ruin it or lose it or have it taken from you.  Really, it's better this way.