When I think about the things that have happened, I came to the conclusion that someone has been watching over me. I have had several mishaps with jewelry that have ended very well.

First, I lost a pin given to me the year I graduated from college by the family that I babysat for. Since my last initial did not change, I was able to keep wearing it. One day I wore it to my volunteer duty at Warren General Hospital. Part way through the morning I realized the pin was no longer on my sweater. I looked everywhere I had been that morning with no luck. I headed for home very disappointed. I got stuck in my driveway and had to back up before I could make it. I looked in the driveway on the off chance that I lost it before I left home.

Nothing was found. I accepted the fact that the pin was lost. That spring when the snow melted out of the driveway, I saw something shiny. My pin was in my driveway and it was not hurt a bit. I am still able to wear it. That was long before I married Don so he never knew about that. Since I did not change my name I am still wearing it.

Another time I had my Grandmother’s pin that I inherited after she passed away. That is the pin that I had pondered over before I purchased it because it was more than I could spend on her. In the end I bit the bullet and bought that beautiful pin. I was wearing it when it fell off. This time I knew it fell off and I picked it up. The clasp no longer held. I took it to a jeweler in the Erie Mall and he actually repaired it with no charge.

Next, I had a mishap with the cross that the staff gave me when I retired from the Warren County School District. One day at the hospital, the lady that I worked with asked me about the empty chain around my neck. I had the chain but the cross was missing. We looked around the area and discovered the cross underneath the desk. The clasp that held it on broke. I took that to Erie, too. This time there was a charge but I was happy to have my cross back where it belonged.

The next missing piece of jewelry was Don’s Masonic Ring. He purchased it with two small sapphire stones and one diamond. He lost it while he was out running errands. He looked everywhere but was unable to find it. He even left a message at a second-hand shop in case someone turned it in.

It was missing when we got married. One day I was in the back room getting ready to bring his file cabinet up here. I was sweeping and saw something round. I had his ring to give back to him. He lost it taking off his gloves one day when he came to visit. It was too big for his finger at that point so we took it to a local jeweler to have it resized. It took several months – it had to be sent directly to the Mason’s jeweler. Don was so happy when he got it back. I told him that was my Christmas present to him.

After he died it came up missing again. He told me that it was mine if he passed away. We looked everywhere, but could not find it. Now two years later I found it among his things. I am wearing it when I dress up. The sapphires are perfect because they were my birthstone, too.

When I went out to lunch with my classmates I wore the cross that Don gave me along with the earrings. It was the first gift he ever gave me. During lunch I noticed it was no longer around my neck. I had been to the bathroom so I went in there to look for it. No luck. When I exited the restaurant, I looked for it all the way to where I had parked. No luck. I thought maybe I lost it at home so I looked there when I returned. I was disappointed at not being able to find it. I went to bed that night thinking about my loss. I had even looked in the car thinking maybe it fell off there. No luck.

At night I got a message to go to the car once again. This time I took a flashlight. When I looked between the seat and the box that is in the middle, I could see something but I did not know what it was. I took my emery board and went down between the seat. I came up with my cross.

There is no way that I should have lost that many things and been able to retrieve them. Someone definitely has been watching over me. My jewelry is intact and I can still wear these things. I thank God that I have not lost any of these precious to me items.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell. Contact her at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.