A Little Door-Key

Lost keys!

They can make or break your day. Especially if it's not just a lost house key or a shed key. A key to your stupid luggage even… It would upset me enough to spend $15 replacing that kind of key. It's so annoying.

It's such a sinking feeling when you realize you've just had your keys and then you realize that they're no longer in your hand. 

You're at a store, finished with your shopping, and you're rifling through your pockets -- to no avail -- while heading out to your vehicle. You think to yourself, "I knew I had to have them 'cause I dropped them on the ground before I entered the store. You go up to the clerk in the store and check to see if anyone might have turned in a set of keys." Nope! No such luck. That's just great. You're soon in a puddle of tears in the parking lot while everyone stares at you wondering why you stopped taking your medication…

No matter what kind of mood you were in before, now you are in a lousy mood because you ask yourself how you could be that stupid. 

Now… when I lose a key, I do it up right. That's right folks. I've lost my car keys with the house key on the same key ring. More times than I care to admit.

Last time mine went missing? It was a real doozy… we're talking about a $300 key. Imagine all the time (and money) that it takes to replace that!

I was out for an afternoon of errands and I couldn't find my keys. I just knew I had them. I knew I had my keys and phone when I entered the store. 

My husband whispers to me, "Go retrace your steps through the store. You go one way I'll go the other…"

Down the side aisles, down the middle aisles, down the back aisles. No luck. 

Did someone find them and forget to turn them in? What would they want with my keys? 

Darn!

I think to myself, "Someone found them, kept them, and they are out in the parking lot now, punching the key fob hoping to locate your car so they can steal it. Great!"

So I rush back to the front of the store to make sure my car is still where I left it…

Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! It's there.

I guess I'm going home using my husband's keys because now I'm hungry, tired and mad… at myself. 

Back home, I'm pacing the floor carving a hole in the carpet from all the back and forth as I consider my next move.

Maybe someone found my keys and hadn't had a chance to turn them into the office. 

I call. 

No answer. 

Dang it! 

You know someone is there but they must be too busy to answer the phone. 

Let me try once more. Someone answers. Success!

"What do your keys look like?"

I describe them to her. One is a Mickey Mouse key, the other is the key for my car.

No keys turned in? 

Crap! 

This sweet voice says, "Give me your name and number. I'm the one who goes through the store at the end of the day and if your keys are here, I'll call you!"

Her voice is so sweet and assuring.

"If those keys are here, I'll find them for you! But you have to wait until 8:30 PM tonight when the store closes for me to check everything."

So I'm up around wondering how I could have been so stupid and careless. 8 PM! My goodness, so long to have to wait before I know for sure if I'll get my keys back!

I hear a phone ringing in the distance. What time is it? Oh no! It's 8:30 PM and she was to call at 8:30 PM. 

I sprint down the hall to catch it before it stops…

Ringing… 

Almost there…

Ringing…

I click the green button on my cell…

Too late. I missed that call. And the store's CLOSED. 

Shall I try to call them back? YOU BETCHA!

But I'm sure they won't answer after hours! Give it a shot. Someone picks up! 

"Consuela?" I asked.

"This is she," she said. 

"This is Jeannie. Sorry, I missed your call but I'm calling back about my keys. Did anyone turn them into you?"

"They sure did," she said, "and I'll be here bright and early in the morning so you can come and get them."

At that moment, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Then I said to her, "If you don't mind me asking where did they find them?"

"Well," she said, "they found them inside a laundry basket down the laundry aisle."

Inside a laundry basket? How in the world did they get inside a laundry basket? Heaven only knows because I don't even remember looking at laundry baskets. But lucky for me, this lady was looking through the laundry baskets, found them, and turned them in! 

Oh, happy day!

I think… I need to do something to repay this sweet lady. So, off we went to the donut shop…. Krispy Kreme, of course… for a dozen donuts and a little present for her.

Have you ever met someone and felt like you've known them forever? Well, that's how I felt about this sweet lady. She didn't have to take the time to call me about my keys but she did. 

So many times people just don't want to go the extra mile or even be bothered with someone else's problems. I would rather find the good; each of us should be a blessing to someone every day. 

I know this lady was a blessing to me. She just as easily could have dumped those keys in her drawer and not called me back at all - but she didn't. She took the time for me and was a blessing to me. 
Won't you be a blessing in someone else's life today?

~ Jeannie Joyner