We have been renovating a condo this summer and one of the last items to install is a new washer and dryer, an apartment size stackable. We wanted to test out the unit with a small load of laundry. Good thing it is a small load because the unit can only manage small loads of laundry.
This has me thinking about the phenomena of the missing socks. It happened growing up and it has happened in every house I have lived in and in all likelihood it has happened to you. Did the washing machine actually eat it? Or did we not put the socks in the machine in the first place? If I was to take the machine apart would all the missing socks be found? Do front loading machines do the same? If no, is that the solution?
In our house, we also have the phenomena of the missing combs. It actually has caused stress getting out of the house because we can’t find a single comb. My solution was to purchase a 100 plus combs from the dollar store as a gift at Christmas. We managed to temporarily loose that box of combs but to our relief found it.
I had my share of missing articles and resulting anxiety trying to figure out where I put them. Many years ago, a friend gave me a card with the Prayer to St Anthony and suggested I find a quiet place and read it. I would then find the item. And it worked, and it continues to work for me. I have given it to my employees, friends and family and they have found the missing item.
How does it work? I think it helps quiet our mind and helps one to think clearly, allowing one to realize the item is not lost. The word “lost” causes anxiety and anxiety clouds our thoughts. You don’t have to read this prayer, you can go outside and enjoy nature or walk with no purpose, sit still and take deep breaths. There are countless techniques.
Over several years I have read and studied “Mindfulness” in an effort to help manage the stress in my life. In our jammed packed worlds of work, family and community we may have forgotten simple techniques to be more mindful. As a child, I would lay on my back and watch the clouds go by, mindful of their shape and how they changed and how fast they moved. I did not need training on mindfulness then and perhaps still don’t. After working on our condo renovation project, I came home, pulled out the hammock and watched the clouds, watched them change shape and how fast they moved across the sky and I felt serenity.
I will continue to use the Prayer of St. Anthony because it works for me…. now if only I can find the prayer card! (I must admit t I had to more than once “google” the prayer in order to use it.)
Hartfelt wishes in finding a bit of serenity and all lost things.
Note: I am not optimistic this will solve the washing machine phenomena of the missing socks, but if you have success I’d like to hear.
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