Sometimes life drops blessings in your lap without your lifting a finger. Serendipity, they call it. — Charlton Heston, American actor and political activist
Do you remember those federal economic stimulus checks sent out during the COVID pandemic to help Americans make financial ends meet?
Three rounds of “direct relief” were made, starting in March 2020. Even individuals and families earning more than the cutoff point were eligible for partial payments.
Well, I distinctly remember receiving the second one. Opening up the check. And putting it aside to deposit later.
But things got busy, and somehow I misplaced the check.
Who’d have guessed it would turn into a year long nightmare?
I’m embarrassed to admit this, but after receiving the check, I never gave it another thought … until it came time to do my taxes.
My accountant needed proof the stimulus check had arrived, prompting me to recall I hadn’t cashed it!
I looked all over the house, but it was nowhere to be found.
Not deposited to my bank. Not stuffed in file folders or under stacks of this or that.
Nowhere.
I asked St. Anthony (patron saint for the recovery of lost items) for help, but he must’ve been busy with others who were more needy.
So my accountant copied the IRS letter notifying me of the payment and asked them to resend it because the check was lost.
No response.
I waited a while and called them. Was told a replacement check was being sent out. Instructed to destroy the first check if it should ever turn up.
Like that was going to happen!
But it did, something I’m attributing to Fate, or Serendipity, or St. Anthony.
You see, I went to our public library to check out some books not long ago. I was browsing the stacks, came across an author I’d read a while back, and decided to try another of his mysteries.
When I opened the front cover to read the blurb, I gasped at seeing MY OWN NAME staring at me from my lost stimulus check!
It was dated January 2021, signed by then-President Trump, and marked Void After One Year.
So, while I couldn’t access the funds, at least I had proof I wasn’t nuts and something that might speed up the replacement check process.
Can you imagine: out of the thousands upon thousands of books in our library, what are the odds I’d open the very one I needed to? Or that nobody had checked out that book in all that time?
Well, it’s now been two months since my first call, and I’ve yet to see a replacement check. I’ve called them a second time, and they assure me it’s coming.
I’ll believe that when I see it but one thing’s for certain: this time, I’m going right to the bank with it!
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
“When I opened the front cover to read the blurb, I gasped at seeing MY OWN NAME staring at me from my lost stimulus check!.”
OMG Debbie, when I read that I was like, “WOW!!!” And you’re right, out of the thousands upon thousands of books in our library, what are the odds you’d open the very one you needed to? OR that nobody had checked out that book in all that time”
You see, there is power in praying to St. Anthony. My mother used to do that all the time, and whenever she did, she’d find what was lost. I kid you not!
And speaking of stimulus checks, I NEVER got the third one. And I know that to be true because the other two I had direct deposited, so I would surely know if I did receive the third one (and have proof). And yet, I was told that I was entitled to receive the third one included in my tax return for last year. But guess what, they NEVER included it. And I spoke to a lot of people who went through the same thing.
Anyway, GREAT story, my friend! Have a super Sunday! X
I’m surprised you didn’t get the third stimulus check, Ron. That one was larger than the second! Maybe it’s worth a call to the IRS (though I wouldn’t wish that aggravation on anybody — I was on hold for at least an hour, ugh!)
Glad you enjoyed my true story — and thanks for the shout-out to St. A. He’s kept pretty busy around my house, too! xx
Your tale brought to mind a few times I’ve spent ‘forever’ looking for something that I knew I’d tucked away for safekeeping — and then couldn’t find. Your story has a twist, though. You didn’t even know that you’d misplaced the check; that had to have made the search even more frustrating.
The really odd thing is that I had no idea there ever was a third stimulus check. How did I miss that? Reading Ron’s comment, I guess I must have dealt with it via my tax return. Now I’ll have to pull it out and see if I did!
I hope you find that third check, Linda. It was considerably bigger than the second one, but every penny helps, don’t you think?
The odd thing about this check was, I remember distinctly receiving it … and dancing around the kitchen saying, I’m rich! Of course, I think Domer might have been home, and that’s probably why I tucked it into the book and forgot it was there.
Whoa! That’s beyond weird and cool all at the same time!
I know, right?? All this time, and I haven’t read another book from that author (and I must’ve enjoyed it, don’t you think? Why else would I “give” him my money?!?)
Wow, what a story. Perhaps you need a few more bookmarks! 😉
I hate to disappoint you, Eliza, but I wasn’t using it as a bookmark. I think the mail had come, I opened it, squealed at receiving money, and promptly tucked it into the book’s cover “for later.” Of course, I really should have examined the book before returning it to the library — my fault there!
As we would say in Maine, that is some story. Holy cats!
And Truth is stranger than Fiction, isn’t it, my writer-friend?!?
Sure is!
Wow! That’s amazing! I’ve found some interesting things tucked into library books or books from used bookstores, but never a check! Glad the mystery was finally solved for you. 🙂
Thanks, Barbara. Now, if they’ll just resend me that money, I’ll be in “tall cotton”!!
What a story, Debbie. This one is for the books for sure.
“For the books” indeed, John. Glad you enjoyed it. Nice when mysteries are solved!
Yes it is a good thing. As a side note did you forget you had read the book before?
HaHa, how’d you guess?? I remembered the author’s name, but not that particular book. Sad, I know (and I hate to admit it — though he probably doesn’t read my blog!!)
I think that’s a good idea too. 😁
What an amazing story, Debbie! Incredible that no one had opened the book until you came along and found it again! It’s so aggravating when something goes missing inside the house, and no matter how much you search it can’t be found. Happily our government gave me nothing, so I didn’t have that problem! 😂 (To be fair, they were extremely generous to workers and people on benefits – I just don’t fall into those categories, and didn’t have any extra costs or losses because of Covid, so I’m not moaning – honestly! 😉 )
You got nothing?? That surprises me. I’m not sure why some of us got checks, but I’m not going to complain! The pandemic certainly didn’t help my small business any, so whatever they opted to send my way could only help (if I’d deposited the funds, of course!)
That sounds like something I would do! And yes, those government checks….so many people who needed them didn’t get one, and others figured out ways to get a few dozen of them. I think they needed to organize it a bit better, overall. But that being said, my niece runs a restaurant and would have gone under had she not gotten one of the government loans that were give out to keep small businesses going, so that was a really good thing!
I’m glad to hear of someone who got one of those loans who really needed it. I didn’t even bother to apply. I figured paying back the money might be more hoops to jump through, ha!
That is truly wild, Debbie! I would have pinched myself to double check that I wasn’t asleep dreaming. That is too cool.
It really happened, too! You can’t make this stuff up. Glad you found it interesting, TD!