Day 16: The Things We Lose

Someone stole our Tom Tom. And every loose wire in our car, from the MP3 hook-ups to the cell-phone chargers and other random connectors whose use we've forgotten. My passport is gone too- but it was expired and I only kept it around because it was a decent picture. This is the fourth time that in the past three years that someone has broken into our vehicle made off with our loot. We've lost a total of 2 Canon manual cameras, a zoom and wide angle lens, a cell phone, the keys to a private school in Medford, Oregon, two sets of gym clothes and now Tom. I don't care about the stuff, really. Stuff is stuff. But I can't help feeling betrayed. Maybe we're just careless, but I think it's more that we want to live in a place where everyone can be trusted. And every year we're let down. They say don't leave your doors unlocked and eventually we do and then we're emptied out.

Maybe it's all this talk about love, but I can't help thinking how similar this is to so many of our hearts. We leave them open because we want to trust, and then, when we don't expect it, we're abandoned and left with nothing. But the thing is, our hearts aren't just stuff. They are everything we have, everything that sums up who we are. Cameras and GPS systems can be replaced over the weekend, but how long does it take to replace the contents of a broken heart?