LOST THINGS

And the Compass of Home

Mom is the keeper of things. At least that’s true at my house . . . and it always has been. When I was a kid, if I couldn’t find something—usually because I was too lazy to look—I just yelled out, “Mom! Where’s my backpack?” or “Mom! Where’re my socks with the stripes?” And she always knew.

That system stayed in place when I became the mom. However, the …