Several years  ago when our girls were so little,  minutes after  just beginning a 5 day   cruise , we were informed  our luggage had gone  missing. I tried unsuccessfully to be cheerful reminding myself that we weren’t in Auschwitz and that a Caribbean vacation in black wool pants, a cashmere turtleneck and leather boots would be enjoyable. Not  to mention a feisty toddler missing her four stuffies and the only pillow she liked to sleep with. I walked by the shops on the boat and realized that unless I wanted to wear glitzy bikinis and cocktail gear I would be on deck in my woolies.

My friend’s extremely busy office moved last week. But in those two floors somewhere all the data on the computers got “lost’. They have been without connection to the internet and all their files for four days. Normally she has never gone more than 10 minutes without being productive. She is gearing up for a tantrum if things aren’t resolved by tomorrow. When things are up and running again  she promises to never again stress as she now knows boredom kills first.

My hairdresser just found out the “lump” in her breast was nothing more than calcification. She is a single mom with a teenage son and in the two weeks before verdict- everything flashed before her eyes. She was anxious and sleepless, exhausted by worry and desperately longing for the loveliness of every day things unencumbered by troubles. When she got her good news, she took her son on a holiday, met, with open heart, an old friend  and is seeing where it might take her.  Something about the waiting and scare made her remember-you can’t take it with you.

When life is “normal” – we  curse the insignificant. Traffic, bills, road rage,in laws, inconveniences, time stresses and burnt toast. I made a dessert the other day for someone special and did not hear the timer go off and it overcooked. It was not ruined but it was well below standard. I was  disappointed – I wanted it to be perfect. The fact that the Pavlova’s state was important proves that right now all things are pretty good-knock on wood.

In the immediate days of separation everything tasted like an old pair of school shoes but I could not have cared less. I had a oil tank the size of an elephant  replace my old one and don’t remember a moment of it (until I got the bill,when I got rid of it recently, stating I had to  pay off the balance of the lease. Did I really rent something I don’t even remember getting?). All little things float by you- nothing matters except for the big stuff. Love, health, safety and sleep. This set of priorities sparkles like a gem  when you least need reminding. It is later, when ‘normal’ returns, that you wish you could keep that mindset. You promise you will but even the best slip up.

When our suitcases arrived I looked at my stuff- a plain clean white t shirt and miles of glorious  fresh underwear, favourite summer dress, bikini without rhinestones, crayons and paper and teddy bears for my girls and felt rich. It amazed me I had way more things at home.

read “you are so sensitive” – my latest post on Urbanmoms