I have this really cool, Bohemian-looking necklace. It is held together with multi-colored earth tone threads with about 100 stones tied into the threads - they look like turquoise, jade, coral and amber - I am sure they are just colored stones but I love it. I bought it a few years ago at a street fair. I wear it when I want, it doesn't really matter if it matches my outfit or not, I just like wearing it. The stones are smooth and do not dig into my neck or itch. It is beautiful and someone always comments when I wear it.

Last month, as I was packing away my jewelry, I carelessly tossed this necklace to the bottom of a deep brown box and covered it with other items from my bathroom, towels and rolls of toilet paper, bars of soap, lotions and shampoos. When I began to unpack the box, my carelessness hit me full force as the smell of spilled lotions and the sound of loose jewelry filled the air. By the time, I reached the bottom of the box, I knew the error of my ways. And a huge task lay before me.

I began first by gently rinsing the necklace and dabbing with a towel, it of course then had to be laid out to dry before a proper attempt at untangling could take place. I came back to the necklace several hours later with my eyeglasses in hand and decided to settle in under a focused light to detangle an old favorite. It took approximately 1.5 hours of tedious work for me to finish the task and even then one end remained hopelessly tangled. But my patience and "desire to fix" paid off. It was, once again, suitable to wear.

One moment, one careless act, one unintentional thought nearly cost me a lovely piece of jewelry. How often we do this in life, as well. One moment, one careless act and someone is hurt. It could be a hurt heart or a hurt wallet or a hurt ego or even a hurt business but carelessness was the cause. Each act, each thought has the potential to change a situation for the better or for the worse. Usually, there is little to no chance for a proper untangling.

We aren't talking about a street fair necklace or a fishing line with an incurable knot. A business hangs in the balance, a relationship totters on an edge. 1.5 hours of tedious untangling is nothing compared to an incomparable oil spill or harsh words that can never be taken back. A simple thought to what will the effect of this action or these words be? What will happen if I say this or do that? Is the effect worth the lack of care? We are human and we easily forget even the toughest lessons. I guess we just need to be super human, for even a dog remembers what a newspaper smack feels like. And I won't forget my 1.5 lost hours.

©by rayannethorn