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I Went Spare While Looking For My Key But Found So Much More To Be Grateful For

Old toys, love letters, my husbands secret chocolate stash...
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Now where on earth did I leave it...?
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Now where on earth did I leave it...?

I blame technology for making me search through the entire contents of my home in a fashion one can only describe as frantic and desperate, possibly even deranged.

In the 'good old days' when you lost your car key you simply took your spare to the local key person/shoe repairer (why are these two trades so inextricably linked?) and waited 15 minutes. Then you paid a very small amount of cash and went home with two keys.

Now, thanksto technology the shoe/key person cannot make me a spare key, but the dealership where I bought the car order me a brand-new key for the astounding price of $800. In the 'good old days' I could buy a new car for that money. Well, almost.

At first I hadn't taken the search for the keys too seriously because I had a spare, but on hearing that a new one would cost the equivalent of 160 smashed avos on toast I became desperate to find it.

I took to my house with frenzy, and here is what I found:

Too many photos that have not been stored in albums. Watching my family grow up in assorted snaps, scattered in bookshelves of books I have loved reading, almost made me calm. Almost.

My husband's secret chocolate stash. Which was in the drawer next to his bed. This makes me love him even more than I already did. Especially because it was uneaten before I found it. The state of the chocolate may have changed.

Love letters. It is almost worth $800 to read the beautiful notes you, your husband, and your son have passed on to each other since the last time you cleaned up.

Gym equipment. A pleasant reminder that there was once a time that I made an effort to look after my body. I might do that again one day...

A box of old toys. I had kept from the very early years of my son's life -- even though I knew in my heart of hearts that there was no way on earth the keys could have found their way into a sealed box at the top of a cupboard, which I needed a chair to reach. Was worth it though, to remember how tiny he was and how much I loved having a small child.

My son's girlfriend has a drawer in his bathroom. It is mostly deodorant and dry shampoo, but it is also a poignant reminder of their beautiful relationship and the fact that my son is also someone's boyfriend.

Foreign currency reminded me of the magical adventures our family have had, the insane opportunities to see different places and to spend time together. It also reminded me to give more money to UNICEF -- including this pile of 'memory' coins.

Unfinished books which I need to read as soon as I have found my keys.

I went through every jacket pocket I have, same with jeans -- I have a lot of pockets. It reminded me of how lucky/privileged I am. I found a fair few lipsticks, many shopping lists, a pen, and a toothbrush!? Handy reminder to clean out my pockets and figure out why on earth I was carrying a toothbrush around.

Batteries. If you ever need Double A batteries please come to me first.

There were so many reminders of how much I have to be grateful for, not least among that -- my spare key.

Here is what I didn't find:

My keys.

___________________________

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