The friendly and efficient police woman commented on my mental state also. She mentioned that usually someone in a household that has been robbed reacts with a little hysteria. Mike came home from work and was his usual calm self. But then, daughter #3 dropped by to pick up a book on her way home from work and filled the bill for a little hysteria and indignation.
We walked through the house with the two police officers. I was pleased to see I’d cleaned the kitchen that morning, but a little chagrined when we got to the bedroom to see that I’d not made our bed (a very unusual state of affairs, I must emphasize) and they were taking pictures! The drawers of my dresser were dumped on the bed and floor. The floor was strewn with baby teeth. Before the officer started to search the house for the rest of the bodies (I’ve read enough mysteries to know that’s the next step), I explained that these were merely the teeth the Tooth Fairy had recovered from under the pillows of my seven children over the years. No self-respecting, overly nostalgic Tooth Fairy would just dispose of them!
Sure enough my little Weight Watcher record books that were carefully hidden under the scarves in the right hand top drawer were strewn on the floor also. I hope our burglar looked them over carefully and whispered a grateful prayer that he hadn’t run into this bruiser on his outing! Daughter #3 remarked that our burglar had a lot of nerve tramping up the stairs past the 4 foot high statue of St. Joseph with Baby Jesus in his arms which has resided on the landing for the past 20 years. She also found it humorous that our burglar had to sort through rosaries, prayer books, holy cards and bottles of holy water to find the loot. I didn’t think we had anything of value, and to tell the truth, most of the value was in memories: the gold chain Mike gave me for our 35th wedding anniversary, my grandma’s engagement ring, the earrings daughter #2 gave me when she had barely enough money to pay her bills. All were gone, along with miscellaneous trinkets of adornment.
Several days before the incident, I’d cajoled husband Mike into taking his top bureau drawer, which burgeoning with “stuff” no longer shut completely, into the back room for some house cleaning. He’d spent a good deal of time organizing, disposing of junk and had put the drawer to right. One could now readily see just what he had and just what he treasured arranged in neat compartments. Mike’s grandpa’s old, scratched railroad watch was taken. It no longer worked and was worn smooth from his hardworking hands. We felt sad about that loss, but you know what? We had and have these wonderful people in our lives, such blessings, much better than trinkets. I don’t think, however, Mike will ever clean another drawer again.
God gave us the grace to see this whole mess as unfortunate, but not worth a minute’s worry or tears. They are just things and we can’t take them with us to Heaven. It’s funny though, every once in awhile, I will open the drawer that held my grandma’s ring and wonder if it could have somehow been overlooked by the burglar, or vacuum the floor still keeping an eye out for an item I miss. But, like so many things that intrude in our days, I have to once again lift this package of regrets up to the Lord and remind myself that it really doesn’t matter. I expect I may have to do this again and again.
So, there is good that came out of the incident. I always make my bed now. Mike no longer cleans drawers (this is a good for him only). We have been reminded that possessions on this earth are nice, but really of no value in our pursuit of Heaven. We have also been reminded once again that God loves us and protects us and has given us a sense of humor to look at this whole mess as an interesting story. I also harbor the thought that our burglar is feeling very guilty and sorry for his sins and wishes he had taken one of my rosaries instead!
Next time, maybe this?
