Another day, another lost water bottle. I only had the latest one for a month, and even if I got it on discount, it meant a lot to me. It's one of those things you stumble upon and know that it represents you, aesthetically and artistically. Something you try to keep forever. A gentle sky blue, It had a message on the side to always remind me...
"COOL IT - Every DAY is PRECIOUS"
So after I had frantically checked every place I could think of, and realization dawned on me of exactly how, where, and when I lost it, I thought of those words. Even as my gut tied itself in knots, I knew I shouldn't sweat the small stuff. After all, I have lost so much more in my lifetime - loved ones, old friendships that turned sour, homes I can't return to, times and ages that only live on in my memories. Things much more important than a ten dollar water bottle.
But then, like my tendency for losing things, I do worry about small things. I am only human after all, and quite imperfect. This is going to be like a small bell ringing in the back of my mind for a long time. Why not order a replacement from the same online store? I visit their website, only to find it has been discontinued and erased from the collective memory. Yeah, that would have been too easy. There remains only one hopeful possibility that I can cling to...that someone took my water bottle to campus lost and found. Chances of that happening are very slim, so it's good as gone.
Everything in life we must eventually let go. Catch and release. And when I lay dying of some unforeseen illness, and life flashes before my eyes, perhaps I will remember the water bottle that got away.