Two phones.

On the other side of the story, and what a hard week taught me about gratitude.

A mobile phone image

A few months ago, I wrote about finding a lost phone on a train and returning it to its owner. What happened at that station that evening stayed with our family.

Last night, my husband’s phone was stolen from his car while we were visiting his mum.

Life can be funny sometimes. This time, we were on the other side of the story.

I kept asking the boys — why would anyone do that?

These are the same boys who heard a ringing phone on a train and went looking for its owner. And there I was, asking them a question I didn’t have an answer for myself.

My corporate hat went on almost straight away. Call the service company. Block the phone and the SIM. Check nothing else was taken. Then the practical problem — my husband had no phone for work the next day.

So I asked the boys, can Daddy borrow your tablet tomorrow, so we can at least reach him?

Yes, they said. And then my youngest added — I’ll tell my friends not to call in the afternoon.

They were in work mode too. We were all ready to go.

Losing a phone is hard enough these days — we rely on them for everything. But this has been a hard week for our family due to some family matters, and my husband has been coordinating things with the family. Of all the weeks to be without a phone.

Then this morning, after things had settled, I saw a note from my friend Ash Wright about gratitude. He asked — what are you grateful for this week?

And I couldn’t stop thinking about the person who took the phone.

Maybe they’re in need. Maybe they’re young and don’t know what they’re doing. I don’t know. But I found I couldn’t stay angry.

When I returned that phone months ago, the owner told me he was shocked anyone would give it back. Now I understand his shock a little better. And I still believe what I told my boys then — you do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.

What I’m grateful for this week: we have family all around us. We were together when it happened. And we can simply go and get a new phone.

Some weeks teach you what matters. This was one of them.

A small note before I go — Chapter 2 of the Practical Leadership Series will be on hold this week. It will be back next week. Thank you for understanding.