HOW I BECAME A THIEF AND GOT AWAY WITH IT

HOW I BECAME A THIEF AND GOT AWAY WITH IT
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The ring was silver with cubic zirconia stones. She flashed it around as if she was a queen wearing a royal treasure. I was hypnotized by the sparkle of the tiny stones. It didn’t matter to me that she had ordered it from the back of a magazine for $5.99, I thought it was stunning.
I wanted it.

In the ladies dressing room of our local pool, as we changed from our swimming suits I saw it on the floor below the changing bench. Reaching with my eight-year-old hand I snatched it quickly and buried it in my towel shoving it deep into my swimming bag.

My older sister, her friend and I scurried to get dressed. We giggled and ran to our bikes for the ride home.

My sister’s friend didn’t mention her ring until the next day when she realized it was missing. She was mildly upset- not distraught. I secretly held it, tried it on flashing my hand up to my face to watch it glitter in the bathroom mirror.
It didn’t seem as sparkly.
It didn’t seem as glamorous.
It didn’t feel like the treasure I thought it was.

I swam in the guilt of my eight-year-old conscience. Panic set in.
What if she suspects me?
What if she finds out?
Running out of the house and onto my bike I peddled to a nearby field. Tossing the ring with all my strength I hoped it would carry my guilt far into the tall grass never to be found.
It didn’t work.

Although, the ring was never mentioned again and my sister’s friend was misplaced from our life, now over 50 years later, I still feel the guilt of that little girl.

The silencing of my stealing secret has worn on my soul.  There is no way now to make amends, but I do know that by sharing this story I share the lesson I have also carried.
I was a thief. 
I got away with it.
But, at the moment that my small hand grabbed the ring I learned that it was wrong, that it didn’t feel good, that there was a consequence for my wrongdoing and that living with guilt isn’t easy.

If I hadn’t been a thief that day, I wonder if I would have learned this lesson as deeply.
Sometimes the lessons of a little girl are carried for a lifetime.  All that glitters is not golden.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
          “A treasure gained by deceit
        will always be tarnished by guilt.”
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Pennie Heart to Heart
HOW I BECAME A THIEF -
               AND GOT AWAY WITH IT 

YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to remember the lessons you learned in childhood - they may be some of the most important lessons of your life. 
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Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                              Thank you! 
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​                                   All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission  please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to see the lessons in all life altering events-- good and bad. 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you! ​