When my mother passed away she left me some bonds. It wasn’t a huge fortune: three one-thousand dollar bonds (a total of $3,000) to be exact. She also left similar bonds to my brother, Denny.

The days surrounding her funeral were so hectic and filled with passion and strife that I barely remember them. They’re in a blurr. I was rushing, phoning, and organizing non-stop. During that period I removed the bonds from a safety deposit box so I could give my brother his. After the funeral, I immediately returned to Florida. I didn’t give the bonds a thought for a couple of days but when I got to Florida, I couldn’t remember what I’d done with my three bonds. I figured I’d left them in Michigan, so I tried to put aside any fretting over their whereabouts. I assumed I’d be able to locate them when I returned home to Michigan in two months. Last Thursday, when I got home, the first thing I did was to head for the spot I thought I’d left the bonds. They weren’t there.

I racked my brain to remember what I’d done with them. The last place I recalled having them was at the funeral home when I gave my brother his three and showed him my three. It was the day we picked out my mother’s casket and made other arrangements. I guess my thoughts weren’t too well organized. I never thought about the bonds until I was in Florida. Then I had to wait two months to be back home to look for them.

Today, as I was filing papers for my mother, I found a book I’d taken to the funeral home. It was Mom’s “Important Information” notebook. It contained her family tree; the birthdates of her siblings; and important dates. I’d forgotten that was the book which I’d had with me at the funeral home. (I thought I’d had a different book with me.) Stuck in the back pocket of the notebook were the three bonds. I remember now that I’d brought it with me so I could accurately list the highlights of her life.

What a relief! I have lost so much sleep. I’ve done so much worrying. It feels so good to have things figured out. To me it was a mark of carelessness and I felt that Mom would be very disappointed in me. Now that I have them, I can relax.

(I should mention that John was never worried. He just said, “You’ll find them stuck in something where you felt they’d be safe.” He knows me very well.)

Hallelujah!