Small Packages

We are waiting for our visas to come through. I woke up early yesterday to get to the crime lab and stand in line for fingerprints and my criminal background check, I had my visa photos, which were horrible but not intolerable, and on Thursday I do the physical exam and HIV testing. When the criminal background check/fingerprints come through, Eric will fly from Woods Hole, pick up the materials, and visit the Ecuadorian embassy is DC. Assuming that there will not be any glitches, we will make it for our flight on August 5. We will not longer be moving to Ecuador, we will be LIVING in Ecuador. I am surrounded by piles of clothes and suitcases, but this time, the challenge is how to pack for a year away, being sure I have all I need, that I do not forget any vital items, that each of us carry just two times 50 pounds.

I met with Kai to transfer all my belongings from Emily's house to Daphne and Julien's. I could not imagine living in the house with the alarm. Kai and his girlfriend were surprised that I did not change my mind and stay in Emily's lovely, spacious, empty house. I am so incredibly lucky to have such generous friends. The challenge at Daphne's house is to get moving and actually accomplish what must be taken care of. It is not an overwhelming task, I just have to start and stay with it. I am too tired tonight however, having slept only a few hours and still trying to calm down my racing heart.

I returned to the bank to check on my safety deposit box that is not really mine, according to the bank. The manager agreed to check with me to see what was in the box. I described having left just one particular thing in the box and he called another bank employee to watch us and monitor the grand opening.HE took my key and turned it in the lock along with his key. When I opened the box, I was in fact stunned to a beautiful clear clean shiny diamond ring on a Tiffany setting, the only item in the box and exactly as I remember it. But again I was told that the box was not mine and that the contents of the box were not mine. There is no record in the bank that I signed for a safety deposit box. There is a record of me coming to the bank almost yearly and asking about the box and being told that there was no box in my name. Amazing that I persisted and returned every year, hoping to convince someone to open the box. I had the keys this time, so I thought that was convincing, but I did not have the paperwork, and was unlikely to find it.

I laughed I cried, I prayed, I kissed the ring, I wanted to kiss the bank manager for believing me. Again I was told that there was no proof that the box and its contents were mine. He told me that he still had to research what happened with the box, but when I called him again, he told me I could rent the box for free for a year and put whatever I want in the box, and all the correct paper work would be signed and my ownership of the box and the contents of the box confirmed. What an incredible relief. For so many years, I have doubted my memory and wondered if I had done something quite different with the ring, and each time I insisted it was my box and I would find the key. I am so thankful that I went through those piles of papers and did not just throw all that junk away. I still have six bags of rejected papers which were to be shredded but I kept in Woods Hole with the plan to go through them and look for he safe deposit box paper work. That is no longer necessary.

So I have my very valuable ring in my possession again. I was so sad to have lost it and am stunned that I have it again. I feel so very lucky. I regret that I suffered so much thinking I had lost it. I worked so hard to let go of material possessions, and tried to convince myself that it was just a thing and not as important as the people that I love and am close to.