All that glitters is not jade

Have you ever found something by chance, lost it, found it and lost it again?

About two years ago, I found a precious jade stone. Well, I thought it was a jade stone because it glowed green, in the purest and most captivating way I had ever seen. How was such a precious thing lying around my home for years and I never noticed?

At the time, I didn't think much of it. In fact, I left it hanging somewhere around my room for a while, hardly thinking about it. I saw it when I saw it and would often take a moment to admire it. We will call it Jade.

In just a few months, Jade started to grow on me. In the morning when I woke up, Jade would be the first thing on my mind and, when I turned around in bed, there was Jade was smiling knowingly back at me. Everywhere I went, every thing I did reminded me of Jade. Soon enough, I started carrying Jade everywhere with me in my breast pocket. And it fit perfectly.

But one day, without much warning, Jade disappeared. I hate to admit it but I was devastated. The process of denial and recovery took a few months.

But I eventually moved on, or so I thought. I actively searched for new stones, some around the home, some at the oddest places. A few glittered at first glance but the novelty wore off fast. None of them were as pure and bright as Jade.

I had to find Jade. Three times I did a thorough search for Jade, 3 times I hit a stonewall.

About a year later, Jade returned. You know when you're looking hard for something around the house but can't find it, then one day it just reappears? Yeah, that's what happened.

Jade came back, albeit somewhat begrimed.  But I didn't care. I knew it was still the purest green inside. All it needed was a little polishing.

I wasn't going to let Jade disappear on me this time; I carried it everywhere with me. I polished it every so often, I admired it every moment I could.

But one day, I drew Jade out of my pocket and noticed it wasn't shining. I felt that was odd because I polished it barely a week before.

Not thinking much of it, I brought out my polish and went straight to work. But no matter how I tried, Jade did not shine.

"I must be doing something wrong," I thought.

Every other day, for the next few weeks, I would polish Jade painstakingly, every other day with no success.

Then it dawned on me. This was all in my head. I couldn't make it shine green because it never did. This was not my jade stone, it didn't belong to me.

That evening, I drove 11km out of town and flung Jade by the river bank. Someday, the real owner will find it.

 All that glitters is not jade.

Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez from Pexels