Short Version (If you are feeling impatient today)
We got one box, as we were supposed to. We got a second box, but weren’t supposed to. We liked both boxes. We still have some work to do.
Longer version
Early this year, My EC and I were traveling, and stayed at a place that was a little more “upscale” than we are accustomed to. Everything was really nice, but one thing that really stood out to us was the bed sheets. The sheets were wonderful.
I know, I know – they were “just” sheets, but you need to believe me when I tell you that these weren’t just ordinary sheets. They were like “Celestial Kingdom” sheets. And like the Celestial Kingdom, you would have to experience it to understand.
When I was checking out and paying the bill, I mentioned to the lady that we really liked the sheets. She handed me back my credit card and said, “Yeah, we get that a lot – that’s why we sell them.”
“What? You sell the sheets here?” My hand was poised in the air, still holding my credit card.
“How much?”
“$450.00”
Gasp. “Really? That’s a little more than I was expecting.” I said as my credit card beat a hasty retreat back into the safety of my wallet.
As I was walking away, the lady told me, “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but once in a while, you can get similar sheets at Costco for a lot less.” I thanked her and tucked that thought away – just in case.
When we got home, I looked online to find out more about these Celestial sheets. It turns out that there was a roadshow at Costco going on that very weekend, and they were selling similar sheets for only $99 a set.
Now I know you are saying, “$99 for some sheets?” It does seem crazy – but not as crazy as $450. Let me reassure you that these are not just ordinary sheets. When I bought them, it all made sense:
Besides, my EC’s birthday was coming up. (And don’t criticize me for buying a gift that I get to use equally.)
I sprang for the sheets, gave them to my EC for her birthday. She was happy.
Fast forward 6 months later.
Something began to change with our fancy sheets. They started to “pill” and feel less luxurious. We had only used them half of the time, so effectively they were wearing out after only three month’s use. You can’t call your sheets “Eternal” if they only last for three months!
So I emailed the company, explaining my disappointment in their product, and attached a picture showing where the sheets were going weird.
The very next day, I got a kind reply, apologizing for what must have been a bad batch, and offering to send us a new set. I was impressed.
A few days later, FedEx dropped off a box. Inside was a brand new set of sheets. We were pleased.
A few days later (last Friday) FedEx showed up again, with another, identical box. We opened it up to find yet another set of sheets. Whoo-hoo!
Either Jennifer Adams really, really likes me, or ….. somebody messed up and sent two sets by mistake.
Confession time: Initially, I was happy to get the extra set. Here is how the self-dialogue went down:
• These sheets aren’t cheap, you know. It would be great to have an extra set on hand.
• It was their mistake.
• If the sheets hadn’t been defective in the first place…
• They probably will never realize that it happened.
• It’s the cost of doing business.
Yeah, I am sorry to admit that those were my first thoughts. I wish my first thought had been to ask myself, “Are you honest in your dealings with your fellow men?”
But it wasn’t.
Sunday, my EC and I were talking about church, and she told me her YW lesson that day had been about honesty. I chuckled as she talked about how she shared with the girls how she wanted to keep the extra set of sheets, but knew she needed to send it back.
I know it seems like it isn’t a big deal, but the funny thing is that I consider myself an honest person – yet I was really quick to jump to ways I could justify keeping something that I knew did not belong to me.
The sheets reminded me of a talk a few years back by Richard Edgely in General Conference. he told the story of his father finding three towels in his car that he had taken from the lodge where he had worked. He expressed how disappointed his father was in him – which motivated him to repent and drive a 370 mile round trip to return the towels. (Great talk -here is the link)
You might remember in that same talk, Bishop Edgely talked about paying for a 25¢ newspaper that he could have gotten for free. A quarter. Big deal, right?
I had a great Stake President who once taught the principle of honesty in such a way that I have never forgotten it. He explained that if he went to a vending machine and there was extra change in the tray, he would leave it there – because he knew that it was not his money. It belonged to someone else.
Along those same lines, once I found a $20 dollar bill in a grocery store parking lot, and returned it to an incredulous customer service clerk, – just in case someone came looking for it.
I’m not dumb – I doubt that anyone ever claimed it, and it might very well have ended up in the clerk’s pocket – but that is between the clerk and God – not me and God.
Sometimes we pocket dishonesty, and call it good fortune.
“Honesty is the basis of a true Christian life. For Latter-day Saints, honesty is an important requirement for entering the Lord’s holy temple. Honesty is embedded in the covenants that we make in the temple. Each Sunday as we partake of the holy emblems of the Savior’s flesh and blood, we again renew our basic and sacred covenants—which encompass honesty. As Latter-day Saints we have a sacred obligation to not only teach the principles of honesty, but also to live them, perhaps with examples as simple as three towels or a 25-cent newspaper. Honesty should be among the most fundamental values that govern our everyday living.” Richard Edgely.
It really isn’t very hard to talk ourselves into being dishonest – whether it be on our income taxes, or bringing supplies home from the office, or telling “white lies.” I wish I could say that my instant reaction to such challenges was always to choose the right, but I can’t.
However, until I get to that point in my own spirituality where honesty is the first response, I will keep trying to make sure that it is, at very least, the final response.
Oh, the sheets are going back – just in case you were wondering.
Here
I found this story applicable. If this guy can be honest with that much money, so can we with the small things: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865586688/Honesty-rewarded-Homeless-man-gets-98000-after-turning-in-backpack-full-of-money.html
I’m still in the “honest as the final response” mode too. When in doubt, I can always ask my EC, and she’ll set me straight.
While I don’t have an “honesty” story to share, we did purchase *those EXACT SAME sheets* from Costco, and yep — they pilled on us, too. I think I’m in Ellen’s camp: despite the paradisiacal labeling, and the initial heavenly feel, we returned them for a refund. We chose a different combed Egyptian cotton (100%) sheet set instead. Good luck on Set#2 of sheets. And to anyone who’s rolling their eyes at the importance of sheets… Judge not, that ye be not judged. 😉
Had a similar experience when we were married and the delivery from the bridal registry started arriving. We received double of a particular item that also happened to be very expensive. I find it a sad reflection on the way the world is going that the shop was shocked at our phonecall to tell them of the mistake, and then expressed sincere gratitude at our honesty.
Just a thought, I am in a business where customer satisfaction is very important. If I need to correct a mistake, I correct it but also add a “bonus”. I depend on repeat business. I’d call the company and ask if it was a mistake or a company policy.
P.S. I want Celestial sheets now. The company would thank you for advertising 🙂
Of course you would send back the second box! Sad to say, most people think we’re crazy when we do that, or give back extra change or whatever.
By the way, synthetic fibers are what causes pilling. 100% cotton won’t pill, even at a lower thread count. I’d be interested to know if sheet set #2 also pills after the same amount of use.
Funny…I was at the health food store today stocking up on gluten free noodles that were on sale (expensive store, expensive product, tiny sale). They are great though and offer case discounts on many items, sadly not those on sale. At the check out as I unloaded my 72 boxes of noodles (maybe 6 months worth…) the cashier happily let me know I was getting a case discount. I automatically countered with nope, it is on sale and with an expression of appreciation for their great prices ($1-$5 cheaper per item than the other health food stores). She thanked me and I was able to walk forward knowing that I’m getting the best honest deal on can on our family’s groceries and not taking things that I shouldn’t.
I LOVE a good deal. I LOVE saving money. But just like when I win a game, I want to win it because I was awesome…not because I cheated or someone let me win. Where would the fun in that be?
Kind of like this, I love a deal! One day I bought a pair of shoes that had a low price on the tag attached to the ‘model’. When the price rung up much higher, I questioned it and showed them the tag, which I soon realized was not the right tag for the shoe. I pointed this out, but they still gave me the cheaper price, saying it was their fault. Well, a couple of stores later, I returned with the shoes and asked them to charge me for the correct amount. I (well, my conscience) didn’t want them to pay for what was a simple mistake. They thought I was crazy, but I was thinking about my covenants.
Whenever these kinds of things happen, I have the same thoughts, but invariably follow it up with, “am I willing to lose my integrity for x amount?” It’s usually pretty easy to say no!
A similar thing happened to us a few years ago. We were a poor family, trying to do a Grand Canyon vacation. As we approached the park, we saw money flying across the highway! We stopped and started picking up the cash – $160 in all. I saw it as God’s gift to us for trying to take our poor family on a trip. But then my wife found the wallet. It must have been set on top of the car as the owner drove off. To save embarrassment to me, I will say we decided to return the wallet and the money to the owner. We called the only phone number we could find in the wallet (in North Carolina, before the days of free long-distance), and the lady who answered told us the wallet belonged to her daughter who was moving to California and had lost her wallet. We told her we would send it to her. The woman’s last comment to me was, “You must be a Christian.” In spite of my first thoughts when we found the money, it felt good to say, “I’m trying to be.”
Great experience…thanks for sharing
A similar thing happened to us a few years ago. We were a poor family, trying to do a Grand Canyon vacation. As we approached the park, we saw money flying across the highway! We stopped and started picking up the cash – $160 in all. I saw it as God’s gift to us for trying to take our poor family on a trip. But then my wife found the wallet. It must have been set on top of the car as the owner drove off. To save embarrassment to me, I will say we decided to return the wallet and the money to the owner. We called the only phone number we could find in the wallet (in North Carolina, before the days of free long-distance), and the lady who answered told us the wallet belonged to her daughter who was moving to California and had lost her wallet. We told her we would send it to her. The woman’s last comment to me was, “You must be a Christian.” In spite of my first thoughts when we found the money, it felt good to say, “I’m trying to be.”
A while ago I got home from shopping to discover I had an item that I had not been charged for. That meant I had to take time to return to the store and pay for the item. To make matters worse, I had to convince the clerk to take my money. She couldn’t understand why I would go back and pay for something that had been their oversight. As I started home, I felt so grumpy. I had to take my time and my gas to drive back to the store for something that wasn’t my fault. I kept thinking, “Being honest is such a pain!” Then the thought entered my mind, “But, you get to attend and receive the blessings of the temple.” Because I can answer that I am honest in my dealings with my fellow men, I can enter the temple. Wow! Having to spend time and energy to be honest in returning to pay for that item, no longer seemed like such a big deal.
I had the same thing happen once. I walked back into Walmart to pay for the extra things I had walked out with and they didn’t really know what to do with me. They had to grab a high up and ask, “What do we do?” Pretty sad.
A few years ago when I ordered my iphone online, I was sent two iphones, instead of one. I think I probably thought for a couple of seconds about keeping it, but I did send it back. I had all the same thoughts you did, about it being their mistake, etc. But in the end, I couldn’t imagine really keeping it.
The answer to the sheets lies in the thread count.
And good boy on sending the other sheets back. Well done.
Actually, these bad boys have a smidgin of micro-fibner in them. I have slept on higher thread count sheets that weren’t nearly as comfortable.
Nope. Long staple cotton and yarn size matter though.
Great post!