A Treasure Already Taken

Strolling along the beach near my home this morning I happened upon a wonderful and rare piece of sea glass.  A rich brown multi-ridged bottle neck, frosted beautifully from constant contact with its sandy, rocky, watery environs, but still some how unbroken - complete.  I eagerly picked it up, starting to brush the bits of shell and seaweed from inside it, but they were stuck in place.  Upon closer observation I discovered a mussel, not much larger than my thumb nail, in the midst of the seaweed and shells, its long coarse byssus threads attaching it to the inside of the bottle neck.  I could have been disappointed  that I would have to leave this treasure behind, having a standing agreement with myself and mother nature to never knowingly take something that has become somethings home, but I found myself smiling as I set it back down, discovering the greater treasure was that someone else had already, ingeniously and wondrously, claimed it as its own.