Every once in a while, something happens that restores my faith in humanity a bit. At times like these I kind of kick myself for being so cynical in the first place. So yeah, there’s a lesson here somewhere. And it includes believing a little in serendipity, too.

To start at the beginning, I had my best friend, John, and his kids over for dinner on Saturday night. (Salmon on the barbecue with rice, corn, brussels, and a lovely lemon and dill sauce, if you’re wondering.) After dinner, John was chatting on his cell phone to his other son. Then the three of them left.

About half an hour later, John called me from his son’s phone to say he’d lost his mobile and would I look for it. I searched the house, I went outside to look in the snow bank, nothing. He couldn’t find it at his place either. We tried calling it but the automated voice came on to say the “customer you’re calling is unavailable.” John came over with a flashlight to see if I’d missed it. It was nowhere to be found.

He tried again the next morning, thinking maybe he’d find it in the daylight. The only thing he could think of was that he’d dropped it on the sidewalk and someone had come along and picked it up. He was about to leave to go home and get himself some breakfast, but I invited him to stay. I usually work during breakfast, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to eat together since he was already there.

We were just cleaning off the table after our toast when there was a knock at the door. This is where the serendipity comes in, because I never answer my door on a Sunday morning. It’s usually Jehovah’s witnesses, and I don’t like standing with the front door open chatting about religion in my pajamas, especially when the air outside is sub-zero. But John, being far braver than I, opened the door.

To find two ladies who had been walking up the street, knocking on doors, to find the owner of the phone they’d found in the middle of the street the night before. Where it could easily have been run over.

The first thing he did after turning the SIM card back on was put the message on his lock screen: “If found, please call …” and my home number.

Because you never know. Someone kind and considerate might find it again next time. At least I’ve got to believe they will.