What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever found (and kept)? – The Daily Writing prompt asks this fine morning.

As I glanced at my office, I found the answer.

We were at the beach with our two very young children. I was having a rough time as a new parent, in a very stressful job working way too many hours and still developing a relationship with my better half.

I was running my hands through the sand for a few seconds I wasn’t keeping an eye on the youngins and found a shell, then another. The first was smooth and round the second kind of triangle in shape, thick with a rough top and edges. Then two smaller shells. I thought to myself this is us. Me being the one that’s rough around the edges.

I put them in my pockets and remember thinking I’m taking this back to work and using it as my support system. I’ve had those shells on my desk for almost 4 decades now, regardless of what office I’m in. They now sit on the shelf above my desk and I see them when I stand or sit as I did for years at work.

Some periods I looked at these shells a lot. When things got tough on the job, I would look at these shells and remind myself of the family and suck it up and not worry about having to pick up work from a slacking co-worker or not tell a superior they don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground or on some terrible days, not punch someone’s lights out.

But the more I looked at them the more they gave me peace of mind and strength. They made me smile for many decades as they do now when I glance at them and they make all that other nonsense seem like small stuff.

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Have a great morning. I’ll be back soon.