The Missing Piece
Laughter does not have to come from a major source. It could be ... relatively minor.
Lately, I've been feeling quite puzzled. Solving a mystery can be particularly challenging, especially when it involves 100 pieces. Each evening, I find myself sitting alone on our worn leather couch, which has been damaged by my youngest dog's chewing—holes and exposed stuffing are everywhere. However, if I stay focused, everything will eventually come together.
I have rekindled my passion for assembling one-hundred-piece jigsaw puzzles online. While it may seem mindless, each piece requires careful consideration of its shape and color. My index finger maneuvers the pieces into place to complete the image. While I’m engaged in this activity, my brain stays alert enough to toss a tennis ball into the air for my dog, who eagerly waits behind our loveseat to catch it and bring it back for another round. I can see the puzzle pieces at the bottom of my tablet, so I don't worry about them falling to the floor. After all, if even one piece is missing, the puzzle feels incomplete—something I know all too well from experience.
Years ago, I tried to complete a puzzle featuring numerous polar bears, each wearing bright hats, scarves, or mittens. This colorful design made it easier to identify the pieces, unlike trying to find a polar bear in a snowstorm. My husband and I would take turns fitting together a few pieces whenever we walked by the card table, and we nearly completed the top half of the puzzle.
One day, a puzzle piece fell onto the carpet, and one of our dogs ate it. I was still able to finish the puzzle despite that missing piece. However, when another piece fell to the floor, that was the last straw. Reluctantly, I boxed up the puzzle and threw it away. Since then, I haven’t tried to complete another one.
The best part about online puzzles is that there are no missing pieces, no chewed corners, and the only thing my dog can ruin now is my concentration, which frankly didn’t stand a chance anyway.
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