A rose and dog poo

creation. and non-creation.

I wrote this on the verge of 2011.

When I wrote this I had no idea that I would be back in the US as of Jan 31.

2011 is a wonderfully expansive year - for me and the whole world.

the wallet miracle and remembering my mom

I am on my way out of Beirut via Paris to Boston. I am grateful.

yesterday, the day before I was leaving I managed to "lose" my wallet on the way home from a restaurant. I didn't notice until the next morning when I was heading to school. Once I noticed I could not find my wallet, I immediately knew it had fallen from my pocket somewhere between paying for my meal at Olio in Hamra and my apartment at the bottom of the hill.

My first response was: thank you. thank you universe for showing me something. I assessed that I had my passport, I had cash and everything in my wallet could be cancelled and/or replaced. so yes even though it was a drag, especially the day before I head back to the states for two weeks and Christmas, it was not the end of the world.

I also then thought, whoever found my wallet needs the money more than I do. thank you again I said for showing me nothing is permanent.

I then went about my hectic morning and did not panic about my wallet. I told a few people and my middle school principal agreed to check Olio when he had to go up to the bank. About mid-morning I got an email from Kaline, my friend and HR rep at school: "did you lose something? I got a strange phone call.". I responded immediately, "Yes do you have my wallet?". she replied, "no, but a nice man does."

I came to find out that a man who spoke and read no english and was not native to Lebanon (he was probably from Syria) had found it and could not sleep all night feeling he had to get it back to the owner. He found a Fidelity insurance card in the wallet and went to the Fidelty office asking for help to find the owner. They called Kaline and she used the fidelty number to recognize that it was my wallet. I met this man up in Hamra and he returned the wallet to me complete with everything including about $150. This is what we call Grace or good karma.

Sometimes the universe or you or God gives you these experiences to remind you of how blessed you are and how good humanity wants to be. My little personal piece of it was that it reminded me of my mom and the many, many times I lost my wallet between the ages of 16 and 28 and how crazy it would make her. I always got it back and I never really worried about it, but it used to make her crazy.

I felt like she was giving me a little message saying, yes Alicia even though the world will beat the shit out of you sometimes, don't lose hope.