Mondays with Mother? "Old Blue"

Summary

In a humorous and heartfelt email, a mother recounts her distressing experience of losing her big blue purse in a Walmart parking lot and the subsequent search with her husband. The story takes a delightful turn when a kind stranger named Beverly returns the purse, leading to a heartwarming encounter and a reminder of the unexpected kindness one can find at a Walmart.

Takeaways

• 📧 The narrator received an email from their mother, which they found amusing and wanted to share.
• 💼 The mother humorously complained about her son's lack of communication, suggesting they resort to posting stories on Facebook instead.
• 👜 The mother lost her big blue purse in a Walmart parking lot, which she recounted in a detailed story.
• 😱 She experienced significant distress over the loss, comparing it to a traumatic event from the past.
• 🔍 After realizing the purse was missing, the mother and father took immediate action to search for it and cancel credit cards.
• 👴 The father, despite being elderly, was determined to find the purse and even searched through trash cans.
• 🛒 The mother returned to Walmart to check with security and the lost and found, but initially found nothing.
• 📱 The father's old-fashioned phone and hearing aids played a role in the search, as he used them to try and locate the purse.
• 🤝 A kind stranger named Beverly had found the purse and turned it in to security, leading to its recovery.
• 😂 The story concludes with a humorous interaction between the mother, father, and Beverly, highlighting the kindness of strangers.
• 🤔 The mother ponders the moral of the story, suggesting that unexpected encounters can occur in everyday situations.

Q & A

What was the main incident that prompted the mother to write the letter to Michael?

The main incident was the mother losing her big blue purse in the Walmart parking lot.

How did Michael's mother feel after realizing she lost her purse?

She felt a degree of anguish and panic, comparing the feeling to the time when Michael unexpectedly called her to speak in front of a crowd of cancer survivors.

What actions did the mother and father take after discovering the loss of the purse?

The father began canceling credit cards, and they both called Walmart customer service and checked the Lost and Found. The father also went back to the parking lot to search for the purse.

What items were in the mother's lost purse that made it significant to her?

The purse contained a $400 smartphone, new prescription glasses, a favorite watch, driver's license, medical cards, gift cards, and cash.

How did the mother's husband, John, react to the situation?

John reacted with logic and calmness, immediately starting to cancel credit cards and then going to the parking lot to search for the purse.

What was the role of the character Beverly in the story?

Beverly found the mother's big blue purse and turned it in to Walmart security, which led to its recovery.

Why did the mother suggest not mentioning Beverly's last name in the Facebook story?

The mother wanted to avoid embarrassing Beverly and also protect their privacy by not sharing personal details.

What was the humorous anecdote Beverly shared about her own forgetfulness?

Beverly shared that one day she returned home from shopping and found her trunk empty because she had left all her groceries in the cart at the store.

How did the mother describe her usual level of responsibility and attentiveness?

The mother described herself as a responsible person who never forgot to pick up her children or her elderly parents, never left appliances on or locked her keys in the car.

What was the mother's initial reaction to the idea of publicly communicating with Michael through Facebook stories?

She sarcastically suggested that they could communicate publicly through Facebook stories, implying that she disapproved of Michael's lack of direct communication with her.

What was the mother's final message to Michael about the importance of calling them after dinner?

The mother instructed Michael to call them after dinner, indicating that despite the humorous situation, she wanted to maintain regular and personal communication with her son.