What's the most important item you've lost?

Many things. When I was ten years old, I was sent to foster care with other siblings of mine. We were told we could only take two things from the home. That day, I was forced to part with many things of sentimental value to me. I remember the lie that we were going on a vacation quite clearly. I have come to terms with it, although I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t believe we should have ever been taken away. We were eventually returned to our parents, but my parents had to throw a lot of stuff out and they had to move if they wanted us back. I miss many things that are forever lost to me, but what can I do about it? In the end, my family is more important to me than materialistic things.

All the photographs of me when I was little, all of them from when I was in Vietnam, and all of the photographs we took when our own children were growing up. : ((

I never got them back.

I lost my mum’s gold wedding ring once, a couple of years back. She’d given it to me to keep for her and me with my obsession with rings, thought it would be a good idea to put it on.
I had it round my thumb (only one it would fit) when I went to the local shop to get something.
When I got back I suddenly realised I didn’t have it on. I sorta panicked and went around all the house looking for it but couldn’t find it. I felt so stupid and bad, I went to my mum to tell her. She made me go out and look for it, and I did. All the way to the shop, the park and our whole street. Imagine my misery when even then I didn’t find it. I went home and my mum asked me if I’d checked my pockets. I hadn’t.

@MilkyWay it was in your pocket??

An original pencil and watercolor by a now famous American Indian artist. My grandpa bought it in Taos when I was about 7yrs old just because I said I wanted it. Somewhere in many moves, it’s gone missing and I feel awful about it since my grandpa is deceased. It was a signed & numbered series of a spotted horse. I hope it has a good home.

@SamIAm Lol! Yes. I felt so silly. I figured it must have slipped off when I put my hand in there to pay the shopkeeper.

I like that the OP, not a n00b, has asked this in General. I have given it a GQ. I understand the OP’s predicament and subsequent feelings of loss. I have lost precious items, but not many I am happy to report. I am usually more saddened when hearing of others’ having lost things dear to them; my mom’s home was robbed and she lost many heirlooms, gold, whatever.

I, however, feel differently. I live my life such that I do not get attached to material things. I like them, I enjoy them – don’t get me wrong nor mistake my playful name with anything zen-like. I wish I were more zen like. Wherever I lay my hat – that’s my home. If I were to get robbed, cleaned out, tomorrow – I would gather my things and begin anew – as I have done many a time. I have precious things – some gold, a couple of watches – some things from my grandparents that I hope to pass on to my kids some day (when they have their own place, and can hang on to things that aren’t on their iPhones). It’s a bit cliche, but since I’ve quoted one song already – here’s another for you; give me things that don’t get lost… Neil Young.

“This is a link to Neil Young singing Old Man: it’s a good link, if you will.

Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.

Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
and there’s so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two.

Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
that don’t get lost.
Like a coin that won’t get tossed
Rolling home to you.

Old man take a look at my life
I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that’s true.

Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn’t mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.

I’ve been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I’m all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.

Old man take a look at my life
I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that’s true.

Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.

An old girlfriend ‘stole’ from me my absolute single most favorite picture ever taken of me. I was about 4 years old in it, and there was only that one existing copy.

I have lost a few precious things to me over the years.

The first, (I have talked about this here before), a heart my father made for my mother during the war that was made of perspex and had a little anchor in the centre. He gave it to me after she died and I lost it.

Secondly, my grandmother’s rocking chair. I brought it to Australia with me to restore and during my separation my ex threw it away. I cried when I found out.

Thirdly, he also threw away the hand made baby shawl my father sent to me when I was pregnant with my first child. It arrived about three weeks after his death. I remember the package arriving and just sitting on the floor sobbing. I wish I had that to give to my daughters when they have babies.

Finally, I did a whole series of pencil drawings of famous actresses and actors – guess who threw them away.

For a while I thought I had lost my grandmother’s wedding ring. I found that again thank goodness.

Most material things I don’t really care about. These things I do care about.

I lost many things when my mom divorced when I was 12—I left my bedroom intact, expecting to go back and didn’t have a chance to. The thing I miss the most is about 25 silver dollars that my grandfather gave me and a pearl ring my mom saved up to buy herself when she was 16.
I’ve moved a——l-o-t and I become OCD about checking every closet, drawer, nook and cranny to make sure nothing gets left behind. However, on one move, we forgot the shed and we lost my mom’s lifetime collection of vinyl records and its storage chest.

I lost my first born child, my only daughter. She died three days after giving birth. And there is no getting her back.

@ETpro

[ HUGGGGGS ] : (

Been pretty lucky in that items lost weren’t really valuable but there was a certain moulding / pry bar that disappeared and it was one I used a lot so it was sorely missed. The only thing I could figure is I must have left it inside a wall at the job I had last used it. I got a new one at the earliest possible time, I missed it so much.

@CaptainHarley Thanks. It’s been a long time now, but I still cry every tiome I talk about it.

@ETpro {{{Hugs}}}

@zensky Thanks, and happy Hanukkah.

@ETpro I don’t think anything’s more difficult than losing a child… my heart goes out to you. {{hugs}}

@ETpro

I don’t wonder. It takes a sizeable slice of forever to get over that sort of thing. I don’t know what you believe, but it’s my fervent prayer that we will see them all again.

@linguaphile Thank you so much.

@CaptainHarley You are so right. The initial shock and pain dulls, but it never goes away. I’m an agnostic, but I fervently hope you are right that we do meet again on the other side.

I’ve never really thought of people as items, but that’s just me. nothing can replace people,loss like that will always trump a thing it’s a given.

@woodcutter No, I don’t think of people as items either. It’s just the first loss that popped into my head when I read the question, and I didn’t spend a lot of time carefully parsing the wroding.