If ever there’s a good time to lose your wallet, a holiday weekend is not one of those times.

On Sunday, July 4th, I filled the car with gas. Thankfully I actually filled it, instead of just putting in $20 like I usually do. I didn’t know that in a few short hours I’d be two hours away from home with no way to access my money. I pulled away from the gas station, kids chattering happily, blissfully unaware that my wallet was rolling off the top of the car, bouncing off the pavement of our city’s main drag and thus scattering my life across the road.

I didn’t realize any of that until I got to my parents’ Farm, grabbed my purse to go hit a sale with my Mom and almost broke out in hives due to panic. I called FireDad, working a shift back home at the fire department. He went to the gas station, looked around and talked to the girls working inside. I called the gas station myself. FireDad then drove for awhile down the road we took out of town. No wallet. He then made his way to the police station to file a report.

Meanwhile, back at the Farm, I was in a state of high panic. The almost frothing at the mouth kind. On the one hand, it was pre-payday, so I wouldn’t lose a ton of money, and I knew that my bank would replace stolen funds. On the other hand, my very busy month is budgeted very closely, and I didn’t really have time to wait around for the bank to give me back any stolen money.

I called PNC, our bank, only to find that not only were all branches closed being that it was July 4th and a Sunday, but even their Card Services and Security offices were empty. 24/7 banking does not apply to the celebration of our Nation’s independence. Count that as a warning. I finally figured out how to unlink my debit card from my checking account online, though I maintain that they need a big box that says, “CARD STOLEN? CLICK HERE.” I had to search through various pages to figure it out. I canceled a few other accounts with relative ease (thank you, PayPal) and finally started to breathe.

Of course, this adventure ruined most of my 4th of July buzz.

I returned home on the 5th and went straight to the police department to finish off the report. I listed everything in my wallet, gave a description of it and signed the form. The wonderful, compassionate dispatcher told us a few things but, as I figured, stated that if the wallet hadn’t been returned or turned in yet, it was unlikely I’d ever see it again. I started making plans for Tuesday: get new driver’s license, visit the bank, get new library card. The list was endless.

On Monday evening, as I sat at the table working and FireDad looked up some information online, we heard a knock at the door. This doesn’t happen often as our friends usually know to call before they show up. I opened the door and gazed upon the hope for humanity: a man with my wallet.

He explained that he watched me pull out of the gas station and saw my wallet bounce and scatter. He ran after it, gathering up everything he could find. He then proceeded to drive to my house… except, remember, we weren’t there. FireDad was working, and I was on my way to Pennsylvania with the kids. But he came back again that day, two more times. Still no one home. Finally, he knocked on our door that evening, and we were home.

I almost cried.

The only things missing from my wallet (meaning that the gentleman didn’t find) were some unimportant(ish) cards in an overstuffed pocket: my library card (the only important one), CVS card, Rite Aid Wellness card and a Hallmark card. All easily replaceable and none that could do any harm to my credit. I’ll change my library card number when I head over today. The $20 that I had buried in some receipts? Still there. All my debit/credit cards? There. License? There. Change? There. Random things that I have in my wallet that no one knows the reasons behind? Yep. There.

I am so grateful.

I learned a few things from this adventure:

• Gift Card Lab charges you $15 to replace a lost card. No, really.
• Take all expired/unused/etc credit/debit cards out of your wallet.
• Don’t ever have your Social Security Card in your wallet. I don’t. My Mom does. I looked at her like she was insane. So, really, this was her learning moment, not mine.
• Don’t leave your wallet on top of the car and drive away.
• The world ceases to exist, at least from a help perspective, on a holiday weekend.
• Your family will make fun of you for the rest of your life if you do something of this nature.
• More people have lost their wallets than you think, as I learned from twitter and Facebook.
• Good people still exist in this world.

FireDad is incredulous, shocked that I got my wallet back. He said something about me being a lucky something-or-other, though he may have used more colorful words. I’m in shock as well. I thought I was being taught a lesson about not being an overly distracted, overly-multi-tasking mom. Instead, I was taught a lesson that there are still good, honest people in this world, right here in my very own city.

But, really, no more wallets on the roof. I promise.

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[This blog is nominated for two BlogLuxe awards (Eye Candy & Blog You Learned the Most From) while Chronicles of Munchkin Land is nominated for Most Inspiring. Vote if you feel so inclined.]