STICKY FINGERS.

Ok, this is too cute.

I totally identify with the little slugger. The lockets were in a bowl on the table, very similar to a situation I found myself in almost 20 years ago.

Ooof...20 years ago. I don't know how I feel about being old enough to even SAY that.

Anyways, I still remember when I was about 7 years old and my Mom and I had gone to Petrini's (the grocery store at Laurelwood back when it was still a Petrini's and not Piazza's). The Winter Olympics were going on at the time and when we were at the checkout counter I spotted a cardboard display box with silver metallic stickers in the shape of a female figure skater.

They were really pretty.

They were a sparkly silver.

I thought they were free.

So, I took one.

We got to the car and I was admiring my beautiful sticker when my Mom said, "Where did you get that?" I hesitantly told her I got it from the box by the cash register and she said, "Molly, those were not free."

Uh oh.

Busted. Doomed.

I remember freezing and feeling humiliated. I also remember that I instantly knew my Mom was going to make me go back inside to return it and I was dreading the walk into the store. I think I pleaded with her that it was an accident, that it was only a sticker, and they wouldn't even notice. But, no dice because my Momma's got morals and it was lesson time.

She made me go to the register, explain that I took it by accident, and give it back. Of course they were really nice about it, but I have remembered those 5 minutes my whole life.

I was never the kid who had a stealing problem, I was much more of an epic story teller (a good way of saying that I was an artful liar), but after that incident at the store and my Mom's proper handling of the situation, I never wanted to steal anything again, on purpose or by accident.