I was putting away a basket of clean laundry this morning and I noticed how my little running socks and dryer sheets could hide out unnoticed in the deep pockets of the king size fitted bed sheet. It made me chuckle because I have often re-discovered a lost sock or small clothing item many weeks later when putting a clean fitted sheet on the bed for the first time after its laundering. Upon such a discovery, I’ll scold myself for not checking the deep pockets before putting the clean sheets away, and then think nothing more about the lost and found item while I return it to its rightful place in my drawer.

But this morning after putting the clean socks and sheets away, I considered how often these lost items go unnoticed, until I need them most. Then I made this funny little connection about little lost things…like the little things in my life that get folded up into the deep pockets of my busy schedule…the seemingly unimportant little socks of life, so basic and trivial in their use, but so important it becomes when one goes missing and its mate is nowhere to be found; while more sturdy soles than mine might not care, I would not go happily to work, or for a walk or run in my shoes wearing only one sock. No, I would rather wear unmatched socks than one sock or no socks at all.

And that’s when it occurred to me…the connection…between missing socks and the little things in life which at first glance don’t seem all that necessary.  That’s the way of little things isn’t it? How often the little niceties around us go unnoticed until we wonder why we feel out of sorts or out of balance. Perhaps, I wondered, it is because I have misplaced or lost one little sock…of grace, or appreciation, or gratitude, or humility, or forgiveness or ???

Silly isn’t it? How life is full of teachable moments when we give our minds over to a few moments of contemplation. I won’t soon forget this morning’s lesson on lost socks. I love how it has reminded me to notice the little things like the niceties of common courtesy or gentleness or appreciation for another. When these go missing from my life, I am no comfortable and neither are those around me!  And of course, I’ve also learned to leave no sheet pocket un-turned!

Turn every corner out,
Shake the sheets strong and stout;
Little things grow large when lost…
Whether lost within or lost without.
So shake the garments of your life,
Turn every corner out, and
Unfold every little kindness found,
Into the waiting moments of your day.
Remember now this note to self repeat:
Give the sheets a good shake,
Turn every corner out!