Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

So, Paul gave me some diamond earrings a couple of Christmases ago. It was a totally unexpected and completely random romantic gesture on his part, and I've treasured them more than any piece of jewelry I've ever gotten. (Well, except for my engagement/wedding rings. Heh.)

Fast-forward to this morning as we were getting into the truck to head to church. Running a tiny bit behind schedule (what else is new on Sunday mornings?), I had Violet in my arms and was also wearing my over-the-diagonal-shoulder diaper bag. My pencil skirt and heeled boots, coupled with the icy driveway, made it so I couldn't climb into the truck safely with Vi unless I first took off the bag. So I quickly pulled the strap off over my head and climbed in.

 

Once I got in the truck, I saw the back of one of my beloved diamond earrings lying on the shoulder strap on the seat. My fingers shot to my ear, and lo and behold, there was no earring there anymore. When I had taken off the diaper bag, the shoulder strap must've scraped my ear just right so that the earring dropped...into the snow on our driveway.

 

I nearly bawled. No, seriously. My kids were alarmed. I didn't want them to see me cry over an earring, so I held myself in check, but I was very very upset.

 

Went to church, yada yada yada.

 

When we got home, Paul parked the truck on the curb so we could investigate the scene of the diaper-bag-removal (we could tell where I had taken it off to get in the truck because my snow footprints were still there). The kids were trying to help look for the earring, but to be honest, they were just tromping all around.

 

Carson kept saying, "Mom, I'm so sorry you lost your earring. It'll be hard to find, because the snow looks like it has millions of diamond earrings in it!" (It was a beautifully sunny day, and the snow was sparkling.) He was sweet, too, saying that he wanted to save up his money to buy me new diamond earrings instead of the take-out-a-loan Helm's Deep lego set that he's got his heart set on buying. Tender kid.

 

But also to be honest, I was pretty sure it wouldn't be found. I was mentally making plans to take my solitary earring into a jeweler and having them put it onto a necklace chain instead.

 

After everyone went inside a few minutes later, I stayed outside and said a little silent prayer that, even though it wasn't super important in the universe, that little earring meant a lot to me, and I'd love to find it.

 

I literally stood up and for some reason immediately reenacted taking off the shoulder strap of the diaper bag, visualizing where the earring would most likely have sailed off to. My eyes followed an invisible arc in the air and, when they hit the snow, I saw a teesny tiny indentation. As I was on my way inside anyway, I halfheartedly checked the spot.

 

There was the earring. A tiny diamond stud. Buried an inch into the snow in a large driveway. Absolutely an impossible find...except for, not.

 

I showed it to my little family the minute I got inside, and everyone - including Paul (and, who am I kidding, myself still) - was shocked. We had a tender little teaching moment about prayers and how they're answered and I offered a prayer of gratitude right then.

 

As if those diamond earrings didn't mean a lot to me already...they are absolutely priceless to me now. Super humbling and amazing experience. What a miracle!


{p.s. On a completely unrelated note, you're welcome to join me as I uncover the diamond-the-roughness of my home here.}