Lost and Found

When I was just
a little girl
I lost a precious gold locket
that I had received as a gift

When I realized my loss
I cried

My mother came up
and put her arm around my shoulder,
"Why are you crying?"

I told her what happened
And I sobbed into her tender embrace

"All is not lost," she said
"Did you ask St. Anthony for his help?"

"Who's that?" I asked, puzzled
by the introduction of this new saint.

"When you lose something," she said,
"Just say a prayer to St. Anthony.
He will help you find it."

"Pray like this...
Dear St. Anthony,
please come down,
something's lost
and can't be found."

"Or if you want to be less formal," she said,
"Tony! Tony! Look around!
My locket's lost and must be found."

My mother was now sitting
on the floor of my bedroom
with her legs stretched out in front of her

I laid my head in her lap
And closed my tear-filled eyes

Through sniffles,
I carefully repeated her words

"Dear St. Anthony,
please come down
my locket's lost
and must be found."

I repeated the verse
one more time,
and as I wiped
the tears from my eyes
I saw the sparkle of a silver jewelry box
that had fallen behind my dresser

"What's that?" I said,
as I crawled from my mother's lap
in the direction of the glimmering box

I laid on my belly and
reached under the dresser
to pull out the box

Sure as could be,
it contained my gold locket

I looked up at my mother
with wide-eyed amazement

Then looked to the heavens and said,
"Thank you St. Anthony!"

I still summon that prayer
anytime I've lost something

In fact, St. Anthony and I
have gotten fairly chummy
over the years as I frequently lose
my keys or sunglasses, or shoes

But this morning I thought of him
not because I lost a possession
But I fear sometimes that
I've lost my footing
on this uncertain path that I'm walking



Today I Pray...

Dear St. Anthony
Please come down

Life can be a bit like a maze
Sometimes there are dead ends
Sometimes you take wrong turns
Sometimes we just misstep

I don't know if I'm lost
or just so deep into this maze
That I don't know my way out

Please be that angel on my shoulder
helping to guide me on my way